In the hectic lifestyle of the modern world, most people have forgotten how to listen to others...
Or they never really learned how.
Or they were taught to "express" themselves.
Or they are so caught up in their world that they completely ignore the fact that there are 6 billion other people living in this planet.
Give or take a few but still you get my point...
So what happens? You can go to any public venue and everybody and I mean EVERYBODY is talking at the same time! The variety and scope of the conversations makes it really, really hard to hear your companion's voice among the noisy cacophony isn't it? It is pretty obvious that nobody is practicing good listening skills out there! But what happens when you are alone with another person? There are so many distractions.
Cell phones, computers, TVs and many other miracle timesaving devices that are supposed to make our lives easier.
So effective listening skills get thrown under the bus...
One of my favorite quotes is this...
"In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king.
" Think about that.
Really imagine that.
You can only see with one eye and yet...
everybody else who cannot see at all, and KNOWS you can see (albeit barely of course) -- makes YOU stand out in the crowd! For instance, there is someone who you know that is a terrific listener.
I will bet the last quarter in my pocket that everybody admires and respect that person.
In fact, I bet YOU enjoy talking to that person! Here is an idea, next time you see this "great listener," pay attention and observe how everybody gravitates to that person because listening to a person makes that person feel special! And we hardly every feel special anymore, because nobody seems to care what others have to say.
They can't wait to blab what they think about this or that.
What is happening with their lives? And so on.
Doesn't that make sense to you? Of course it does! Just imagine improving your listening skills such that people you are attracted to, new people you just met and the people you already know LOVE being with you because...
You listen to them.
You give them affirmation of their self-worth.
You care enough to take a moment and hear what they want to say.
So what do you do now? Find and read some good books on subject on improving your listening skills.
There are some good audio courses that you can pop into your car's audio system to listen while driving to and from work.
There are tons of good resources out there about improving listening skills.
So get going...
and take action today!