Most People Hear, But Do You Really Listen?
This Week's Simple Tip
I recently took part in a girls' getaway weekend with a group of women who I am on a personal growth journey with. In addition to all the fun, we enjoyed some really good conversations. At one point I was telling them about a situation in my life that was causing me concern. A couple of the women went immediately in to problem solving mode which was exactly what I did not need at the time, so I expressed my desire to just be able to vent. The situation turned out to be a great learning point for all of us. We all need to learn to listen and then ask if a person wants suggestions, rather than to jump right in to trying to fix things. This lesson applies to communications in general. Most of the time we listen to reply instead of listening to understand. The Greek philosopher Epictetus gave us a useful guideline to follow: We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak.
This Week's Focus
This week, try listening more. Really listen, instead of thinking about how you will reply, or what your opinion is about the topic of discussion.
Click on the serenity sticky to print, cut and post on your bathroom mirror to remind you of this week's focus. Good luck!
A Little Helpful Hint
We have probably all been on both sides of the emotional support communication issue. It is frustrating for both parties as one feels not listened to, and the other can't understand why their advice is not being accepted. This very funny play on this dilemma shows how easily the situation is resolved.
