Silence as the Teacher
Shhhh...
A recent conversation with a friend has shifted focus away from what we say in the form of a written word and placed a very heavy emphasis on what is not being said. Yes the things we don't say...you have to listen for them!
There is a very strong likeness to silence and listening. There is an equal opposite to just hearing and actually listening. Going about our day, or night if you will, our surroundings are filled with sounds that we hear, subconsciously even. Hence, my opening sentence when you lose power, you don' really know what you were hearing until it isn't there anymore.
Listen...
If you communicate with others through written words there can be an enormous impact on the delivery of your message by what is left out...a fill in the blank kind of moment!
Today with technology being what it is an all, the age of instant communication, the power of what we say or don't say becomes magnified.
With written words we even go as far as applying our own "tone" to who we think a message is being delivered to us. This can be dangerous if we don't take the time to actually "listen" to the message. Not to confuse anyone but, most of us have been a part of this repeat game where you recite a sentence to a person and then it is passed along to 10 people. Then the last person repeats it back to the first person.
It might look like this..." The big black dog rode in the back of the red pickup truck with two flat tires"!By the time it gets back to the first person it may sound like this..." A dog was driving a truck with no tires"!
Listening is hard...hearing is easy!
Clarify...
When people send us a message, if they were standing in front of us, would they be delivering the same messaging we "heard" as the receiver? Maybe, maybe not! It is certainly OK to ask clarifying questions to make sure what we think we heard is actually what is being said!
Listening is a skill that flies under the radar, but right up there with trying to be nonjudgmental...another topic for another day.
Here in the WA community there are so many tools available to our members which help us to be better listeners. Live Chat, Live Events, PM's, Comments on you Blog, all the Training, even sections on "top Helpers" in different categories.
You Win!
There are so many members out here that have been through many of the challenges you are facing. Don't get discouraged... Listen to What They Have to Say!
Best,
Gerry
Recent Comments
19
Listening takes a degree of patience which I think is being lost by our ability to communicate instantly. Many years ago, you would have written these thoughts, mailed them. I would have received them two weeks later and written back. You would have received this answer two weeks later. Fortunately, today, you don't have to wait for my brilliant response. Thanks for the post. Listening is an important art - listening and waiting.
I love the sound of silence on a cold night on my thinking deck--after a while the silence starts to become deafening if that makes any sense, Gerry! Great post--thanks for sharing, my friend!
See more comments
Listening is a skill that many people need to learn! In my job in healthcare I often get frustrated by people who don't take time to actually listen to the advice they are being given.
Silence is also a great teacher in my experience. Sitting in silence and allowing your mind to clear often reveals some incredibly powerful thoughts and ideas!
Best wishes!
Dave
Dave,
I couldn’t agree more! “...don’t take the time to actually listen”!
I hear every word of that!
Thanks for stopping by 👍🏻
Gerry