How well do you listen to others? In my experience, people spend more time and effort, give more forethought to preparing to speak, than they do to listen.
When you listen to others, how often do you find yourself thinking about what you are going to say before they finish what they had to say?
Are you intentional about asking questions to clarify what you heard so that you understand accurately what was said?
When someone says something you disagree with, maybe about yourself, are you quick to be defensive or do you attempt to understand their perspective better?
How practiced are you at listening to feelings behind the words being spoken, behind the details of the story being told? and responding to the feelings?
Timothy Keller, author, pastor, speaker, said, “To be loved but not known is comforting but superficial. To be known and not loved is our greatest fear. But to be fully known and truly loved is, well, a lot like being loved by God. It is what we need more than anything. It liberates us from pretense, humbles us out of our self-righteousness, and fortifies us for any difficulty life can throw at us.” Knowing others, requires listening. Listening communicates respect, value, Love.
Is listening well something you need to practice? I might be able to help, let's connect.
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