Listen. A word used a lot but rarely put into practice. I rush through life forgetting all the time to stop, open my ears and really listen. What does it mean to "really listen"? For me, it's about focusing all my attention on the person or thing I'm supposed to be receiving information from. And it's not just about sound. Listening includes the space between sound. The pauses, the silence. It includes the pace of delivery and the pitch. If I'm listening the message is communicated in its whole without being interrupted with my interpretation, my story, my thought.
Listening take a lot of energy. It takes patience, concentration and self-control.
The next time you encounter someone you love, ask them a simple question like, "What was your highlight today, and why?", then listen. Try to keep your stories at bay, your interpretation in the background and soak in their voice, their pace, their experience. It's quite refreshing.
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