How Good a Listener Are You (am I)?

By Allen Clements

More people will be attracted by experiencing your “heart” than by experiencing HOW much you know in your head!

Emotional Intelligence (Written about by Dr. Travis Bradberry) is far more valuable than Intellectual gathering of information or as we are told, Knowledge is Power. Wisdom says that is not the whole truth. Like many things it is just part of the truth yet pronounced to be the truth.  For me it can cause me to be a “KNOW IT ALL!”

Question? Where can you relate to this?

In Order to become a Better Listener, try talking much, much less and ask more questions with the full intent to actually listen to what is being said vs. organizing your thoughts for comment once they stop talking.  As one great man comically said, “I thought listening meant you watch someone’s lips, and when they stop talking, then you jump in.”

Question? Do I listen to understand or do I listen only to be able to respond to what was said? 

Can I repeat what was just said to me?  Do I often need to repeat what was said so the other person actually feels “heard.” What a concept? 

If rigorously honest, do I even think about “hearing what they are really trying to say”? Am I someone that thinks I’m a good listener?  Ask your friends that will be honest and not patronize you, to tell you the truth. Answers will often be in the range of “it depends” or “sometimes you are” to “not really” to “not the best.”

Just learning more information & knowledge may broaden your horizons and feed one’s ego but does it DEEPEN YOU HEART and Cause you to BE a Better Lover of others, especially people that think differently than I (You) do?  Regardless of what side of the aisle you are on today about anything (religion, politics, your rights, etc.), instead of Trying to be Right try Actively Practicing Taking Actions of Love toward Everyone...not just the beautiful, attractive ones you like. It's easy to care about those that think like us. How well do we treat others that dramatically different from us. It Ain't real popular today, but it sure is the Truth and most peaceful way of living!

As Jack Faris, former President of the NFIB, once told me, "People, Places, Things, and Events don't make me what I am. They merely reveal Who I am." I've since discovered it also shows Whose I am?

How good at you at loving & praying for your enemies? I still have work to do. How about you? The best contribution I can do to change the world is to work on allow change to happen in me! Are you ready to take on that challenge?