Sshh!
Author: Personal Growth Mentor
When in conversations with other, do you spend more time talking or listening? We have all heard the saying, “You have two ears and one mouth, so listen twice as much as you speak”. This is truly a great rule to live by. When we are listening, we have the potential to be learning something we may not already know. When we are talking, it can only be about something we already know and we therefore are not growing as a person.
People love to be heard and will speak more truthfully to you if they feel you are being an intent listener. You will soon gain their trust as your listening helps to validate them and make them feel like you sincerely care about them.
It is easy to get caught up in listening to our own internal dialogue or allowing our mind to wander. We tend to stop listening to the other person as we begin to start thinking about what we want to say next. Listening is definitely a learned skill which takes practice.
Begin to pay attention to how well you listen. By simply making a conscious effort to be a more effective listener, you will be amazed at your personal growth. You will not only learn alot about others, but you will probably build better, more effective relationships.