Someone said it this way, “We have two ears and one mouth, therefore we should listen twice as much as we talk”. I don’t think that’s bad advice. It’s actually some advice that I should take myself. I’m a ‘talker’. That can be good …..and bad. Because of what I do I’m expected to talk in a lot of different situations. So, in that respect, talking can be a good thing. But there are times when the ‘talkers’, like myself, need to pipe down and just listen. It’s something I’m working on.
I’m actually a decent listener when I’m in a personal counseling session. It’s important in spiritual counseling to discern what the real issue is so that we can pray specifically and strategically. Oftentimes a person will talk all around the issue without ever disclosing the ‘real’ problem. A good listener is able to discern what’s at the core and then, with the help of the Holy Spirit, approach the solution.
My achilles heel is when I’m in a room with several people and the discussion is in full swing. I have a tendency to talk too much. I’ll cut people off sometimes in the middle of their conversation; sometimes I’ll talk over people. I don’t mean to be rude or disrespectful. It’s really a bad habit….and like I said, “I’m working on it”. Communication, and being a communicator can sometimes collide. Healthy communication involves a good balance between talking and listening.
I want to be a lifelong learner. I even encourage others to be learners. It think it’s important. I know that if we’re learning….we’re growing. I don’t know that it’s impossible to learn while you’re speaking, but it’s a no-brainer that it is much easier to learn something if you’re listening. Listening is an art! It’s something that we can all work on to improve. So, I’m going to commit myself to “Listen More – Learn More”!!
