Who Are You Listening To?

If speaking is Sliver, then listening is Gold. ~ Turkish Proverb

As this quote suggests, listening is a more valuable skill than speaking. My grandma used to tell me God gave us two ears and one mouth because it was better to listen twice as much as to talk.

Besides always asking ‘why?’, I had an opinion about everything around me. Dear sweet grandma grew tired of my asking the same question repeatedly — why? Why? Why? She finally told me, “be quiet and listen sometimes and you’ll find out why.” Clearly, that didn’t quell my talkative nature.

However, being a good listener in relationships deepens your connection with others. When a person speaks, they may not always fully express themselves — their thoughts and feelings — and it’s easy to misinterpret or misunderstand what they’re trying to say. By actively listening and paying attention to those nonverbal cues, you’ll gain a deeper understanding of the other person’s message. Then, you can respond in a more meaningful way.

Actively listening can help build trust, intimacy, and understanding. It also allows you to support and help your friend or partner feel heard and valued. Listening can help you understand a colleague’s needs and perspectives, thus allowing you to work more effectively as a team.

Benefits of being a better listener

Being a good listener helps to improve communication. Build stronger relationships and make you a better person. Actively listening also has several other benefits:

• Conflict resolution: Listen to another person’s perspective to find common ground and come to a resolution that all parties will be happy with.
• Better decision: Listen to input and feedback from others to help you make more informed decisions. It will also help you identify and plan for potential challenges and obstacles.
• More empathy: Through active listening, you can put yourself in another person’s shoes. This leads to a better understanding of their experiences and emotions, which helps improve emotional intelligence and your ability to connect with others.
• Build trust: When a person feels heard and understood, they are more likely to trust and respect the person who listens to them.

Another person who benefits

There is one more person listening will help. You. If you listen to yourself often, you will save yourself some difficulties. These are brief bouts of intuition. Sometimes when I’m driving, if I listen to that voice in my head telling me to take a different way than the route I planned, I often find that I will have saved myself from having to wait while an accident is being cleaned up. I might have even avoided that accident altogether.

Always listen to your mind (intuition) and you will rarely be led wrong. Listen to your body and it will keep you in good, netter, best health.

Active listening is a good (some might say essential) skill to have for effective communication, relationship building, and personal development. Don’t only hear the words that are being spoken, understand their meaning and the intent behind them. This includes focusing your attention on the person talking, providing feedback, and asking clarifying questions. Yeah, you can do the same for yourself.