Listen

I haven’t posted or blogged in a while, life got in the way and quite honestly I wondered who cares anyway?  What does what I think matter?  It’s not that I don’t have a lot to say, and opinions on many things, too many some people might say.  It’s that everyone is so opinionated.  Everyone has a prospective on everything and they believe their way is the only way.  The climate is so divisive.  No one listens to anyone.  How can we possibly survive if we don’t start listening to each other?  No one person or organization has all the answers or is right all the time.

One of the best trainings I had years ago was on listening.  I was working for Weight Watchers way back in the day.  I was a leader that ran the weekly meeting for members to come, talk about their struggles and find help to lose weight.  I loved the job.  We had monthly trainings on how to be better members and leaders in our meeting.  One of those ways was to stay at our goal weight so we had to weigh in within 2 lbs. of our goal weight to keep our job.  Needless to say there were a lot of very hunger leaders on that Friday night and a really delicious and filling gathering after the meeting.

I digress.  Our trainings were great.  We were trained by a long time Weight watcher that on her own was an amazing leader so just watching her present was a training.  This one training I remember above all else.  She said this training on listening was going to be something to not only use in the meeting but something that would help the rest of your life.  I internalized it, made it part of who I am and still use it today.   

Listening is about hearing what is being said by the other person.  No kidding right?  It about stopping your internal voice from speaking.  It is about focusing on that other person, on their words, their inflections and their body language.  Really hearing them.  There is nothing more powerful than the feeling that you have when you know you have really been heard.  Imagine if we could all do that for even just one day.  Really hear what others are saying, really understand, and really walk in someone else’s shoes, just for a day. Whether you agree with the opinion or not, hear why they feel that way and they hear you. It’s call communication.  It’s called finding common ground.  It’s called understanding.  What if we could really understand each other… what a different world this would be.