A Thought About Listening

I have been working with some people on honing their (our) listening skills. Some of that interaction would be good fodder for thought, so here it is...

Here is my bottom line:

Effective listening extends beyond being polite to the person that is talking to you. Listening involves a comprehension that goes beyond personality likes and dislikes. It extends into important messages from everyones higher source. Listening has no meaning unless you take what you hear into some sort of action. That action is driven by a greater, or more universal understanding behind the meaning of the conversation.

But first, what are the steps to fruitful listening? Here are mine...

1. Become quiet. Internal distractions are unproductive.
2. Focus on the event. External distractions are unproductive.
3. Listen to what is being said. Let the conversation enter your thoughts.
4. Hear what is said. Know what is being said from your experiential perspective.
5. Comprehend what is said. Know what is said from the others perspective.
6. Evaluate what is said. Decide, without judgement, if the conversation has merit.
7. Take free will action. Do something respectful that concerns the conversation.

The real question is; Why did you draw the conversation to you? I think that the reason comes from the universe and will ultimately drive your action. It may seem complex but the bottom line is simple. You really needed to hear what the other(s) had to say. Therefore the universe drew you to and into the conversation. I also think that everything that occurs in your life has meaning, and is ultimately directed toward your growth.

This is particularly true if you started the conversation because you had a point to make. I know that when I stand up to defend myself or when I want to correct another person, I am not entirely convinced that my opinion is valid. I know this because, invariably my opinion will soon shift. The change almost always points back to the defensive or argumentative conversation. The time lag between the conversation and opinion shift depends upon how open minded I am about the situation.

In any event, I think that all conversation, independently of how mundane or boring, will eventually lead to inner personal growth. However, first we need to listen...

What do you think?

Sam