A few days ago, I wrote a post about life guidelines I follow. I talked about how smiling is beneficial for you and people around you, so basically everybody! Now on to my second guideline, one that I think is extremely important: the ability to...
I have read somewhere that we have 2 ears and 1 mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we can talk and I thought it was so brilliantly put! I am quite the introverted person and when it comes to socialising, I am usually not the life of the party. When conversing with others, especially strangers, I tend to not say a lot. Not because I have nothing to say, but because I'd rather listen and put the focus on the other person.
I think it is extremely important to be able to truly listen to those around us and most importantly, to be able to do so without jugging. Communication is the cornerstone of every relationship and I believe that being an active listener can only cater to it.
You can be an active listener by first putting yourself in the speaker's shoes: it can be easy to minimize other's problems, but unless you've walked a mile in their shoes, you are in no position to brush their concerns away. Doing so is like basically telling them that they are not important. What you can do is be a good friend and let them talk about it. Sometime, just being able to verbalise something makes everything clearer and helps us put things in perspective. You can also encourage the speaker with body language: again, no need to talk. A simply nod of the head and eye contact will do just fine.
Most of all, be patient. There is no need to force someone to talk: this could actually do the complete opposite. Reassure the speaker and let them know that you were happy to listen to them and that you are there for them.
Listening to others can be such a great thing: whether it's them telling you about a problem or even announcing a good news, it gives you the opportunity to share a moment with them, a moment that shows they are comfortable with you and that they trust you. It shows that you are important to them. So take that opportunity to let them know that they were right to talk to you and that you are worthy of that trust.
I think it is extremely important to be able to truly listen to those around us and most importantly, to be able to do so without jugging. Communication is the cornerstone of every relationship and I believe that being an active listener can only cater to it.
You can be an active listener by first putting yourself in the speaker's shoes: it can be easy to minimize other's problems, but unless you've walked a mile in their shoes, you are in no position to brush their concerns away. Doing so is like basically telling them that they are not important. What you can do is be a good friend and let them talk about it. Sometime, just being able to verbalise something makes everything clearer and helps us put things in perspective. You can also encourage the speaker with body language: again, no need to talk. A simply nod of the head and eye contact will do just fine.
Most of all, be patient. There is no need to force someone to talk: this could actually do the complete opposite. Reassure the speaker and let them know that you were happy to listen to them and that you are there for them.
Listening to others can be such a great thing: whether it's them telling you about a problem or even announcing a good news, it gives you the opportunity to share a moment with them, a moment that shows they are comfortable with you and that they trust you. It shows that you are important to them. So take that opportunity to let them know that they were right to talk to you and that you are worthy of that trust.
1 comment:
finally something interesting
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