Deep listening

“How often do you offer your undivided attention to others? Do you inquire into how they’re doing, what’s happening in their world, or what they need to feel safe and happy? Or are you quick to talk about yourself and see how others might serve you?” ~John Amodeo, PhD

One of the hallmarks of a great conversationalist is the ability to listen. Ideally, when someone asks what you’ve been up to lately, you hope they’ll pay attention to your answer and even ask follow-up questions. Too often lately, most people seem eager to shut you up, derail your topic, and reroute the conversation back to themselves.

Social media platforms — including blogs like mine — are partly to blame for this. They’re designed for posting non-stop “news” about our own lives or whatever interests us. So, maybe we’ve also grown accustomed to one-sided chatter offline? With that in mind, I’m trying harder to listen deeply when others are speaking, and to ask follow-up questions about the topics they’ve introduced. ~CL