We may spend £5 today and make it back tomorrow just like we may lose a pair of keys and get them cut the following day. If only this could be said about time. For us to waste 10 minutes complaining about what cannot be changed is something that cannot be reversed; them 10 minutes have been lost. This understanding of how precious this resource, we call time, truly is helps us comprehend why listening to someone is the most valuable gift that you can give. With this, I would like to ask, how much time do you spend listening to you? When you listen to yourself, you listen to what your life has been telling you. Taking it a step further, how much time do you spend listening to those around you? Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply. With two ears and only one mouth, how often do you challenge yourself to seek first and understand, then to speak and be understood?
Listening is a way of connecting with others and it is in this connectedness that we can find fulfilment and happiness. It is connection, relationships and belonging that people value more than anything else. Have you ever wondered why it is better giving than to receive? The real value comes from this space. The space that is created where someone feels truly heard.
Who do you plan to show intended listening to and what value can you add in doing so?
