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Welcome to my blog.
Each of us is on Earth, tasked with a mission to do our best and live our best lives so the world is better off with having us here.
My main interest is in the area of personal development and the art of winning.
Enough said. Let's share thoughts and experiences through this blog. Your input and comments are most welcome.

Friday, December 16, 2011

The One Skill Every One Needs

One day, a 92 year old man went to see his doctor for a checkup. A few days later, his doctor saw him walking in the park. He had a beautiful young lady by his side. The old man seemed as happy as anyone can be. The surprised doctor said “Wow! You sure are feeling a whole lot better, aren’t you?”  The old man smiled widely and said, “Yes, doctor. I’m just following your orders, you said to get a seriously hot “mama” and to be cheerful!”
“I didn’t say that!”, the doctor shouted,  “I said that you’ve got a serious heart murmur and to be careful!”.  
Doesn’t the above mirror our everyday life? Most people seem to only hear what they want to hear, not what is usually being said. The skill of listening, if properly practiced, can vastly improve our communication and relationships.
 With the availability of social media and email nowadays, people no longer communicate face-to-face but prefer email or texting. Even colleagues who sit next to each other or adjacent offices communicate by email when the issue can be resolved by just walking over and talking. This makes it easier to misunderstand each other and get into an argument. 
We all need to practice listening when someone talks to us. Too often, the other person or even us begin to reply even before the other person has finished talking. How can we connect with each other if we don’t first seek to understand each other?  This is a major cause in friction between people especially in group or family discussions and contributes greatly to the social and political problems in our world today.  
Leaders understand the importance of listening. Leaders use this skill to connect with others.  Leaders seek to understand before being understood. Leaders who don’t listen effectively will not last long at the top nowadays.
Let’s lead the way and practice our active listening skills intentionally. This will improve the quality of our relationships with family, friends and colleagues. Be especially open to listening when your child or loved one speaks with you. You can never underestimate how much children appreciate your time and attention listening to them share their thoughts and day with you.  After all, if you can’t share your “two ears” with them, what else do you need it for?