Listening
is a lost art in today's society. People enjoy being the center of attention,
and do not want to take the time to really listen to anyone else.
We
may ask, "How are you?", but we quit paying attention before they
even answer our question. We are easily distracted and have no real interest in
hearing the answer.
We
listen to other conversations around us to see if there is anyone talking about
something more interesting to us than the conversation we are participating in
at that moment.
This
lack of interest in what we have to say leaves the wounded, hurting multitudes
of people in our world to shut down emotionally, and to bury their secret and
most vulnerable needs, hopes and feelings.
Sometimes
we stop talking, but we do not really listen. We do not really hear what the
other person is saying, because we are too busy thinking about the next
statement we want to make.
However,
learning the art of ”active" listening is a skill worth cultivating. It
shows the speaker that we consider their thoughts and feelings as important as
our own.
Even
if the person is bringing up an issue with something we have done, we can
actively listen, clarify rather than assuming what they mean, resist getting defensive
or accusing and ask for forgiveness.
Active
listening takes effort and a desire to connect soul-to-soul with another human
being. We are not just sharing information, but attempting to elicit empathy or
understanding for what we are going through.
Our
motive for sharing is not really for the other person to fix our problem, but
we are asking for them to show that they really care about how we feel about
our issue. We want to bond, not just impart data.
Prayer:
Father
God, help us to stop wishing that our friend/mate would hurry and finish their
story so that we can start our next monologue. Remind us that dialog is what
communication is really all about. Help us to mute the TV, or our tunes, and to
light up when they come into the room. Show us how to focus our attention so
that we can help them to feel cherished and important.
Remind
us to allow them to finish talking before assuming what they are going to say
and interrupting their flow of thought with our own information, similar story
or advice without really listening to them until they are finished talking.
Help us to really see and hear one another and to constantly listen to Your
Spirit's direction for each moment of our life.
Thought
for the Day:
Even
when someone disagrees, or has a criticism of us, it is important to listen to
what they have to say without zoning out or interrupting them.
For
information on active listening skills, check out this webpage:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/womensmedia/2012/11/09/10-steps-to-effective-listening/#3b73d3cd3891
