"LISTENING" Such a quiet word means SO much

THE SIMPLE ART OF LISTENING IS NOT SO SIMPLE

Without being listened to, we are shut up in the solitude of our own hearts.

• Listening nourishes our sense of worth and maintains our strength and validity.
• The need to be heard, which is something we ordinarily take for granted, turns out to be one of the most powerful motives forces in human nature.
• Being listened to is the medium through which we discover our selves as understandable and acceptable - Or Not.
• When something excitting happens in your life - you reach out and cannot wait to tell someone.
• The excitement comes from the hope of a positive response.
• The anxiety com
• Being listened to helps us grow up feeling secure.
• es from fear of rejection or indifference.
• The seed of listening is sown in childhood, parents who listen make their children feel worthwhile and appreciated.
• Being listened to helps build strong, secure self, endowing the child with sufficient self- respect to develop his/her own unique talents.
• Character is formed in relationships and the quality of self depends on the nature of that response, the quality of the listening we receive.
• NOT being listened to is hard on the heart and so we cover our need for understanding with mechanisms of defense.
• The feeling of not being understood is one of the most painful in human experience.
• When we are with someone who doesn't listen, we shut down.
• When with someone who's interested and responsive - we come alive - light up.
• To understand listening and the dynamics of relationships it's necessary to consider - what goes on between them AND inside them.
• More than we realise we continue to live in the shadow of the families we grew up in.
• We all have private interpretations of what we hear - what's being said and picked up by the listener is an interpretation of their previous experiences - which could trigger emotional responses that block the listening.

So how do we become more sensitive listeners

• Paying attention to what the other person is saying
• Acknowledging the other person's feelings
• Listening without giving an opinion
• Listening without offering advice
• Listening without immediately agreeing or disagreeing
• Noticing how the other person appears to be feeling - and then asking
• Asking about his or her day, both before and after
• Respecting the person's need for quiet times
• Respecting the person's need to address problems
• Listening to but not pushing too hard for feelings

Listening,  paying attention, being there on the other end of the line, an encouraging word, A yes I understand you nod.

Costs - Time - That NO amount of money or gifts can purchase.