Shhh… I’m Listening
When a person is talking, we catch ourselves (or maybe we aren’t even aware), from time to time, thinking of what we are going to say next. We might be thinking how we can respond, relate, pick apart, or advise this person on whatever the subject is they may be talking about.
But lately, I’ve tried something new.
Listening…
…by really and truly blocking my mind from thinking of a million other things–or even why this person is telling me such a story and just take time to listen.
…by repeating and trying to understand what the person is really trying to tell me and why they are telling me.
…really listening to my family, friends, students, and people I encounter on a daily basis.
I find myself falling back into the pattern of thinking of a million other things when someone is talking to me. I have to stop and remind myself that practice forms habits. And habits help make you who you are. For the better or worse.
These days, I’m trying to make it for the better, and I think listening might just be the place to start.