Quote:
“Listening is a positive act: you have to put yourself out to do it.
… David Hockney
A story:
Diana returned from the doctor, with a frown.
She had an extremely bad throat infection.
The doctor said that she would not be able to speak for a few days,
‘How would things get done?’ Diana wondered.
How would her family be able to manage without her counsel and advice?
In the evening, Diana’s daughter began telling her mother about a fight she had at school.
Diana’s first instinct was to shower love and advice upon her daughter.
But what could she say? Diana couldn’t utter a word.
Her daughter started sobbing.
All Diana could do was fold her daughter in her arms, and let her cry it out.
Minutes later, her daughter’s tears slowly subsided and there was a smile on her face.
“Mum, normally you would have jumped in with advice and judgment, but this time, things were different.
You let me share my story, and most importantly, you listened. That was all I really needed. Thanks, mum.”
Tears shone in Diana’s eyes. Sometimes all that was needed was a listening ear.
We all need to be heard. But sometimes we hear but we don’t listen.
Other times we listen but don’t acknowledge or empathize.
Learning:
Every good conversation starts with good listening.
Listening and acknowledging – at home and at work, makes a positive difference.
YouTube video link of this topic: Hear, Listen, Acknowledge – YouTube
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