Did you know that it takes a special type of communication to rise above adversity? It’s the type of communication that you can only access once you’ve experienced the heat of a good battle. If you live and work with other people, then you will know exactly what I mean when I use the word "battle".

Strife is your enemy. Strife’s best friends are bitterness and jealousy. Bitterness puts you in a choke hold and jealousy squeezes life’s fire out of you. You then feel stressed, confused, depressed and defeated. So, how do you use communication to defeat them and survive to fight another day?

Let’s look at Janice’s situation. Janice had a coworker who undermined and sabotaged her at every turn. At first, Janice tried confronting her but had no success. Her coworker was so skilled at what she did, that everyone, including their manager believed that Janice was complaining without cause. Janice became withdrawn, confused, and unproductive.

But something happened that changed Janice. She witnessed another innocent coworker get caught in the web. She decided that something had to be done. She realized that she had to learn some skills in order to survive. Once she employed some of these tips, the attacking coworker eventually stopped her attacks and then left the company. Janice became a smart woman who communicated well.  She became a skilled warrior and conquered strife and sent jealousy, fear, and bitterness running for cover.

Here are a few tips that helped Janice.

1. Value yourself - Understand and accept that you are a person of value. If you cannot see your value, you cannot expect others to see it.

2. Value what you bring to the table - You are gifted. Don’t ever doubt that. Do not allow others to cause you to question what you bring to the table.

3. Understand the power of silence - You never have to respond to ignorance. If someone says something vicious, try not responding.  The results will surprise you.

4. Real power does not have to be announced – If you know who you are, you don’t have to prove yourself…to anyone! Don’t allow others to take your power by pulling you into an unnecessary confrontation.

5. Remember that those who attack, are usually hurting people – Remember that hurting people hurt people. They are wounded porcupines who want others to feel what they feel.

Smart women who communicate well seek purpose and never come unprepared for battle. Strife rarely keeps them from moving forward.  If you stay focused, you can successfully fly above adversity and handle your business where you do business!