social skills
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A matter of trust
“The most precious thing in this world is trust. It can take years to earn and only a matter of seconds to lose. It’s important to keep trust at the forefront of everything you do.” ~Lolly Daskal, for Inc. Last week, I heard Billy Joel’s “A Matter of Trust” on an oldies station. As coincidence would have it, I’d been thinking about “trust” and why it’s fundamental to all our relationships — whether we’re talking about romance, marriage, business, politics, friendship, or family ties. As today’s quote reminds us, trust is nearly impossible to repair when it’s betrayed or broken. Trustworthy people respect our stories and keep our confidences. Likewise, trustworthy…
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Listening skills
“One of the benchmarks of great communicators is their ability to listen — not just to what’s being said, but to what’s not being said as well. They listen between the lines.” ~ Laurie Buchanan I’ve always been interested in how communication impacts our daily lives. Good listening skills are as essential to healthy relationships as good talk. Thankfully, I’m married to a guy who’s an outstanding, empathetic listener. (That’s him in the background of the photo above.) He’s not one of those people who starts talking before you’ve finished what you’re trying to say. Listening carefully also improves your memory. When you focus on what someone is saying — and…
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Walk a mile in someone else’s shoes?
“We are sun and moon, dear friend; we are sea and land. It is not our purpose to become each other. It is to recognize each other, to learn to see the other and honor him for what he is: each the other’s opposite and complement.” ~Hermann Hesse, Narcissus and Goldmund In popular culture, we give lip service to the importance of honoring our differences and celebrating our uniqueness. It’s a noble theme in song lyrics, novels, speeches, and essays — but how’s that really working for us? Deep down, we want others to appreciate our own special attributes. We want to be respected for our opposing points of view. (We’re…
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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 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. How often have you walked…
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Traditions to count on
“Traditions underscore our relationship to a greater whole. Then, instead of being isolated in time and space, we’re engaged with our clan or community, even with humanity as a whole….Once an activity achieves tradition status, it’s dependable. You can count on it. In a world of diminishing dependability, this is precious indeed.” ~Victoria Moran, Younger by the Day There’s comfort in having rituals and traditions, small or large. It doesn’t matter which holiday we’re talking about — it’s the special activities you count on that make it a celebration. Every year in the fall, for instance, I look forward to hosting a Halloween costume party for a group of neighborhood…
