Good communication skills comes hand-in-hand with positive self-image, says Cindy.
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Registered Counselor Ms Cindy Biding believes that a life lived to the fullest has the perfect balance of physical, mental, emotional and spiritual aspects, and to achieve this balance, one must be aware of these aspects and focus on their strengths, skills and abilities.
Ms Cindy, a counselor with Monash University Sunway campus at the Johor Bahru Clinical School, spent two and a half hours at Olympia College, Johor Bahru, to chat and ‘share a cup of coffee’ with 170 new students.
“The analogy of a cup of coffee is simple and practical,” Ms Cindy said.
“We tend to use the best cup for our coffee. However, no matter what cup we use, be it porcelain, crystal, glass or plastic, the quality of the coffee does not change. It is the coffee that matters, not the cup,” the counselor of over ten years of experience, explained.
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She explained that focusing on the cup shows that we concentrate on matters and things that complicate life.
“Life is simple! Focus on enhancing the quality of life instead,” Ms Cindy told the students who were embarking on a new semester at Olympia College.
She also pointed out to them that communication skills were vital in the development of a young adult. Ms Cindy focused on the importance of active listening and quoted an ancient proverb: “We have two ears and one mouth – use them proportionately”.
Good communication skills comes hand-in-hand with positive self-image. Ms Cindy said that students need to be confident about themselves and recognise their abilities and accomplishments, no matter how small.
During her motivational session, Ms Cindy advised the students to practice positive self-talk to reinforce their self-confidence and positive self-image.
“The students were building a strong communicative base and helping each other to grow through positive feedback and encouragement,” she said.
For the students to continue working together in future group assignments or co-curricular activities, Ms Cindy stressed that the students also need to understand their own emotions and how their emotions affect others.
“The students demonstrated good teamwork with a simple game of tic-tac-toe, which is about working collaboratively as a team to create a win-win situation,” Ms Cindy said.
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