Whybe a Yogi - The Power of Listening
When I was a teenager, I used to pride myself on being such a great listener because I was always the one who my friends would run to for a listening ear. In fact, I preferred to take this role rather than the other because I’m naturally an introvert when it comes to sharing my feelings.
As I’m getting older, I’m starting to realize that it wasn’t necessarily that I was great at it, but rather, I was simply skilled in shutting up & holding space (which I suppose, is a pretty good quality in & of itself, just a different one) — I wasn’t actually HEARING what it is that they were saying.
A lot of the time, my “listening”
in a conversation is geared towards passively listening to what is going on in my own head
This means most of my time and effort is spent thinking about what I’m going to say next, listening to my personal opinions about what the other person is saying, listening to conversations we’ve had in the past, etc. This all actually takes me further & further away from the present moment & therefore further away from connection with others.
Powerful Listening
can result in such a richer life.
“When you talk, you are only repeating what you already know. But if you listen, you may learn something new.”
Powerfully listening takes work and intention. It takes effort. It takes energy.
Here are a few nuggets I’ve learned about active listening:
The juicy-ness of a conversation (aka CONNECTION) lies in pausing & actually, actively listening & HEARING what is happening in the present moment.
Silence can be GOLDEN: Allowing yourself and others a pause for some silence & some space is necessary so that you can fully let what is being said, land.
Life is richer because of connection: How much richer would our lives be, & by effect, the world be, if we all took a pause to actively hear others instead of passively listen?
Where can you take powerful listening
into action in your life?
Where in your life, specifically (at places like work, or with specific people like with your mom or significant other) are you passively listening right now?
What could be different if you started powerfully and intentionally actively listening in these areas?
What will it take for you to make these shifts to powerfully listen? (a pause, meditating, collaboration with other parties, etc.)
