Listening shows that we care and is an amazing act of kindness. Listening allows the speaker to be understood. When we feel understood, we feel:
- super-human.
- a strong bond with who we are talking to.
Understanding
When we understand, we:
- Accept.
- Empathize, to put ourselves in that person’s position.
- Offer compassion.
This amazing gift of listening is not hard to give. Even when we know what to do, we still don’t. We believe our true gift is to provide the answers. The world is full of answers. Everywhere we go, we get advice. When we turn on the TV, it tells us to take this miraculous pill.
Advice is not what we are looking for. We search to be:
- Heard.
- Understood.
- Valued.
Active Listening
The next time you are with your children, your spouse, your parent, try this out:
- In your own words, repeat what the the other person has said.
- Then, ask a question about it.
No advice. No answers. Listen. Ask questions about what they have said.
Regardless of how old we are, we need to come to our own conclusions. When we listen, we demonstrate our love. We take the time to care.
Coming next:
Everyday we explore opportunities to listen more effectively. Stay in touch for upcoming posts about how to improve communication with your loved ones!
