Have you ever had a conversation with another person where you felt the person was not listening to you? That the person on the other side simply wants to tell you what they feel or think rather than understanding the scenario from your own perspective. If you have, then you would understand the power of listening.
Listening is one of the most important parts of communication. Too many time we focus on speaking in communication, about being a better speaker but we do not give the same effort towards listening. Schools would teach us reading but how often do we learn to listen. It is rather annoying that people simply want to share their experience when all you want is someone to listen.
Well, you can change that. Listening is about giving yourself time to understand what the other person wants to say. In listening, you can basically live the other person’s situation. When people want you to listen, they are basically trying to express how they feel and the only way they can do that is if they speak. And for you to really get them, all you have to do is listen.
It is indeed important to emphasize that listening is key in almost all aspects of our lives. When you listen, you get more information into your system. But it is not enough that you get information into your system, you would need to digest and understand it. Too many times, people listen waiting for us to stop so that they say what they have in mind.
I say when you listen, give the information time to digest into your system. When we listen, we would need to process what we hear. By processing what we hear, we are better equipped to pass on a wonderful response.
So for whatever conversation you would be having today, lend a listening ear. Affirm that you are listening by giving body movements and signals that you are following. Drop any activity that makes the other person feel you are not listening. In listening, you are able to live two lives all at once. Yours and the speaker. And do not respond if you do not fully understand. Give it time to digest and then create a wonderful response.
When a person wants to speak and you are not available, it matters that you give the person a time and place where you can listen. Do not try to want to listen and still be busy with something else.
Most of the time, a person speaking is pleased that we are even listening. So the rush to give opinions is not the most important part. It does not hurt to say you do not have an answer if you indeed do not have one. Be quick to lend a listening ear, but slow to giving a response. Think properly and understand the other person to the best of your ability.
It matters that you listen. The world has too many people speaking and too few people listening. Someone out there simply needs someone to listen. You can be that person.
Help listen to someone today and make the world a better place. Thanks and God Bless.
Originally published at medium.com