Have you ever wondered why is it when we listen to someone, it’s like sweet ambrosial melting down our ears while words of some seem to be cacophony? Definitely it is about our connection with that person but it depends greatly on how well he speaks or addresses his audience. Indeed, not everyone is blessed with the gift of gab, the art of speaking! This gift goes a long way in affecting and impacting lives. How can we forget Sir Martin Luther’s life changing speech, ‘I have a dream…; Jawahar Lal Nehru’s, ‘Tryst with destiny’ and not to miss Nelson Mandela’s Never, never and never again shall it be …’? These leaders touched many a million hearts and moved the world and surely aced the art of speaking.

Owning the gift of gab is thus possessing the ability to intertwine one’s thoughts, opinions and feelings in discreetly articulated words disseminating an effective, informative and thought-provoking message. Successful educators, motivational speakers, managers, military leaders, politicians and even spiritual preachers become successful primarily because of their potential to touch lives with their emphatic words.

Speaking as a skill has garnered much importance specially in today’s world where social media has opened numerous platforms and career opportunities. It’s time that we acknowledge speaking an art as well as a skill that can be acquired with much tremendous effort, continual study, long experience, profound wisdom, and unfailing strategic sense. Reading too as a habit goes a long way in shaping an effective speaker.

Something that we all need to understand is that effective speaking skills are very important for our survival and growth not only in academic and professional life but also in personal life. Situations like conferences, seminars, workshops, group discussions, interviews, etc. often need us to put our best foot forward.  And similar efficiency may also be required while supporting our parents, grandparents or even a friend. Hence, speaking effectively becomes all the way more significant as it is often said:

‘If you can speak, you can influence, if you can influence, you can change lives.”

Bhavneet Kaur