HOW GOOD ARE YOU AT LISTENING?


“You cannot truly listen to anyone and do anything else at the same time” ~ M. Scott Peck

When you are fiddling with that phone when someone is talking to you, you are not listening and  nothing is as frustrating as trying to communicate with someone that is preoccupied.

Listening is an art that everyone of us must learn. As Bernard Baruch points out “Most of the Successful people I’ve known are the ones who do more listening than talking”

We should not only pretend to listen but genuinely listen. “Most People do not listen with the intent to understand, they listen with the intentions to reply” ~ Stephen R. Covey and that’s where communication breakdown starts especially in marriages.

Here is a list of 7 ways to improve your listening skills I got from Vala Afshar’s twitter handle that will set you off on the Path to becoming a better and effective listener.

1 Talk less
2 Do not interrupt
3 Maintain direct eye contact
4 Put your phone down
5 Listen with your eyes; look for the unsaid
6 Be interested
7 If you are waiting for a pause, so that you can speak, then you're not actively listening

One outstanding quality of highly successful and effective people is their ability to listen. The Scriptures say “My dear brothers and sisters, always be more willing to listen than to speak…..”

You won’t disappoint your maker!


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