Listening With Your Heart
It was nearing
Valentine’s Day, and I was pondering many
things, when an image came to me of an ear and a
heart. I thought for a moment and realized that
many problems could be solved if we started
listening with our hearts, instead of our
heads. I know I would be able to communicate
much better if I listened that way, so I thought
I’d give it a try.
Want to know
what happened? Listening got easier,
communication became more effective, and
relationships were strengthened…all by this
simple switch. When I listen with my head, I
listen to the words people are saying and often
start to think about what I’m going to say in
response. Or, I try to solve their problems
while they talk. Or, their words trigger some
other memory and I start thinking about
something else entirely. Or, I’ll place my own
meaning on their words and miss their intention
completely. The list goes on…
Sound familiar?
I think this little scenario is the cause of
nearly all miscommunication. Remember, the mind
is a great servant, but a terrible leader.
So, I started
listening from my heart. I swear I could hear
people better, and I know it made a tremendous
difference. I was able to focus more on the
person speaking, and the intentions behind the
words. I would listen for the emotions and the
meanings behind the words – their
emotions and feelings, not mine. It’s much
easier to keep my wandering mind in check.
One of the
biggest benefits of listening from the heart is
that it’ll be easier for you to not take
offense, because you’ll be listening to their
intentions, instead of their words. And rarely
is it someone’s intention to offend others. So
you’ll avoid so many potential upsets and
arguments, you’ll connect better with people,
and you’ll be much happier.
There’s a poem
in my daughter’s Nursery Rhyme book that says,
“A wise old owl sat in an oak; the more he
heard, the less he spoke, the less he spoke, the
more he heard. Why aren’t we all like that wise
old bird?”
When I read it,
I think of the old saying, “You have two ears
and one mouth – use them proportionally.” Both
sayings are good reminders that listening is
important, and when you do it authentically, you
make the other person feel important. When
someone feels important, it is empowering, and
every person who feels empowered can create a
better life and a better world.
Enjoy your
heart-led journey!
SS
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some BIG changes here...which I think will be a
HUGE benefit to everyone in the near future.
Keep a lookout for messages from me, because
there will be announcements you don't want to
miss!
So
keep reading, and get ready to have your socks
knocked off!
