Being aware of the fact that I need to work on my listening skills is one of the best things that has happened to me this year. Why? Now that I know there is an issue to deal with I will become more conscious of it, and take steps towards becoming a better listener. It starts with my ability to identify the issue because what you don’t admit or acknowledge is an issue you will never take responsibility for it. That’s what being responsible is about; responding to a need, situation or circumstance with the hope for a change. I can’t afford to react irresponsibly because reactions can sometimes lead to adverse consequences but we are not going to get into all of that.
My thing right now is listening to others. Imagine how good it feels when someone says to you; “Thank you for listening.” Believe me when I say without a shadow of doubt it's a feeling no one can ever take away from you. I’ll give you an example; a teenage friend of mine said that to me last month and my response was “I am glad my pain was your joy.” I could only tell her that because I was able to listen to her as we talked about a situation she found challenging and I had been in a similar circumstance in the past. Having a fore knowledge of what she was talking about enabled me to give her some tips on how to handle the same issue next time.
So what’s my game plan? I have every intention of developing my ability to listen to others more, and I must learn not to butt in when someone is in the middle of a sentence. I tend to do that a lot and personally I find it very irritating when others do that to me. Here goes the old adage of treating others the same way you want them to treat you.
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