Listening...

I look forward to a time when more people put an interest into listening and understanding rather than rambling and pontificating. You’ve heard the term, “all things in moderation”. Well, talking is just one more thing we need to keep in check.

If all you do is talk, all you hear is you. You put yourself at the center and draw all the attention to you. When you think about it, excessive talking is just another form of egotism and self-centeredness. And with that being the case, you have to ask yourself “why do I need all that attention?” And be honest, if you sit there thinking “oh, I listen to other people talk”, are you really listening or just taking a breath while you formulate another opinion?
Spending all your time talking and not listening, it's like rowing a boat with one oar. You'll burn a lot of energy but you won't go anywhere. The simple gratification of experiencing something, feeling something, or learning something is completely lost if you never stop the mouth from moving. Yours is not the only opinion. Wouldn’t you want to know what someone else thinks? Don’t you think it’s possible you might actually learn something new or perhaps gain a new perspective on something when you hear it from someone with different life experiences? Personally, I enjoy the little surprises of discovery when I’m told a story through someone else’s eyes.
If you can’t recall the last time you sat still and heard the sound of birds singing, or a sleeping dog sigh or just the gentle rush of the wind through the trees, you may be an excessive talker. We’re consumed with questions and have so few answers. Doesn’t it seem obvious that if we just listen a little bit we may start getting some of those answers?
You need to find a balance. Here’s a suggestion - for every story you tell, listen to two. And I mean LISTEN! Think about what you hear and try to understand. If you feel compelled to jump in with your own story, stop, and instead, come up with a couple of questions that would help enhance your understanding of what you’ve been told. Find the connection between you and the story you just heard. Be active with, appreciative and respectful of the person sharing their story with you. Trust me, you’ll find it very gratifying in the long run.
So, that’s my story. I’m listening now….