Do You Feel Understood?

Have you ever been with a group of people, and there is one person in that group who has something to say about every comment that anyone else in the group has made? Or have you been with a person who continuously talks and never asks anything about you?

Okay, these examples may be one extreme of the talk-listen spectrum, but how much is too much talking versus too much listening? There is a saying that we have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak.

Let's face it, all people really want is to feel understood, listened to, and reassured. And to do that, you have to actually listen to them. This is true of all kinds of relationships -- friendships, business, romantic, parental, etc. When you really listen, you gain an understanding of what's going on with the other person so that you are able to empathize, and gain trust and confidence from the other person. We all know how good it feels to be understood like that! All that is required is taking genuine interest ... SPEAK in such a way that others love to LISTEN to you. LISTEN in such a way that others love to SPEAK to you.

This Week's Focus:

This week, take the time to have some conversations in a way people love to LISTEN and SPEAK to you.