God Gave Us Two Ears and One set of Lips for A Reason
To Talk Less and Listen More! When we listen to our loved ones, we learn what is important to them. We need to pay attention and earnestly LISTEN to what they say. It may sound simple, but for most people, being a good listener is a skill that needs to be cultivated. “Being heard is so close to being loved that for the average person, they are almost indistinguishable” David Augsburger
LISTENING IS NOT like … A CHESS GAME
Planning your next verbal move while the other person is talking.
Be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger -James 1:19
LISTENING IS like … A SPONGE
Absorbing as much as possible of what is being said and the feelings behind the words.
Spouting off before listening to the facts is both shameful and foolish -Proverbs 18:13
PUT INTO PRACTICE
Healthy listening involves FACE-TO-FACE. Today, about 6.4 billion people worldwide use a smartphone. If you want to be a better listener …CLOSE your laptop, TURN OFF or SILENCE your phone, and FOCUS on the person talking.
WAIT: Let them finish their thoughts! Don’t Talk While the other person is still talking.
ASK: Don’t hesitate to ask them to repeat what they said.
REPEAT: What they said to ensure that you fully understood it.
Everyone communicates, few connect – John Maxwell