One of the hardest aspects when it comes to communicating effectively is patience and thinking before you speak.  People won’t always meet our expectations, and we can’t get bent out of shape.  When we’re in an argument, our walls go up, and we go into self-defense mode.  Our initial response is often to attack the other person.  It’s so important to learn to pause and think before you speak.  Beyond not saying things you don’t mean, you’re taking a moment to truly understand what's being said.  People will interpret things on how it makes them feel, not on facts.  Be self-aware enough to ask the other person to clarify what they mean before you react. Don’t always feel like you need to fix the problem, sometimes we just need to be heard.  It’s so important to listen, not to reply, but to understand.