THE YEAR FOR “LISTENING.”
I believe that 2017 is the year for listening. We live in a world where people are always talking to each other. Most individuals prefer to talk “at” you instead of talking with you. What makes it worse is that we are constantly on the go and attached to our smartphones. Since the noise is constant, it’s easy for us to miss important details when we don’t stop and listen. We hear, but we don’t listen. Have you ever been in a conversation and noticed that the individual across from you is not paying attention? All of us can attest to that, and sometimes we are guilty. It happens when we are distracted, and as a result, we tune out the speaker. There are many reasons why it happens, but today I’ll turn your attention to the solution. The antidote is to listen. We have to develop the discipline. It is challenging but achievable. The main difference between “hear” and “listen” is that one deals with the ears while the latter deals with the heart. The ear is an organ that is designed to receive multiple sounds and maintain balance in any environment while the heart magnifies one sound at a time. On a side note, regarding the word and its spelling, hear, and heart have only a one-letter difference – that one letter bears great significance. Regarding its function, the heart’s importance is far greater. Although the heart’s function is greater than the ear’s, the ear is almost equivalent. We need the ear, in most cases, to get to the heart and sometimes the reverse to listen. One of the most interesting things about listening is that the same letters are used to spell the word silent. To listen, you have to become silent or quiet. There’s no workaround. You have to stop talking and become an active listener. I’ve heard Simon T. Bailey speak of the words listen and silent many times, but their significance became even greater when we allow our hearts to hear. It’s not over the top to say listening with the heart is considered a third ear. When you listen with your outer ears, your inner ear (i.e., the heart), processes the information. The goal of gathering stimuli with the ear is to get to the heart, but distractions disrupt the flow of information, especially when we are not disciplined. There are many ways to become an active listener. Here are three easy-to-apply methods: 1. Meditate. You can do this with a group, but even so, you still want to do it by yourself. Do it in a relaxed state. 2. Be attentive. This is important, especially when you are in a conversation. 3. Use all your senses. Your ears receive stimuli as well as your eyes, nose, skin, etc. Listening gives us a way out of many problems we are facing. Even in chaos, listening helps individuals to restore order. Many people struggle with listening because it is a humbling experience. The more you listen, the more you learn. The more you listen, the more you see.
