Listening is highly personal and subjective. After any conversation, we may be able to recall its topic, outcome, specific words, tone, or emotions expressed, but it's almost impossible to determine if all conversation participants had a shared understanding of its meaning. Even if a conversation was recorded and the participants' intentions and motivations were documented, there is no way to confirm that everyone heard or remembered a conversation similarly. Further, it's challenging to determine if everyone who participated had an opportunity to honestly and safely express their thoughts and felt confident that those thoughts were accepted, heard, and understood.
Listening provides a foundation for any conversation, communication, or relationship. However, too many opportunities for misunderstanding can emerge from the complexities involved in listening itself. And that makes listening a fascinating topic to contemplate.
I love to listen to people and learn about their life stories. Whenever I listen to others, I listen to their words, stories, actions, emotions, and feelings, and I observe my emotional responses to them. I not only discover who they are, but I have my own experience interacting with them, bringing my own sense of meaning to that conversation. Listening then becomes an exercise in being present with someone else, helping them feel seen and heard, and not alone. I accept others as they are and their experiences as their truth.
In these pages, I share how I embrace acceptance. I describe how my journey discovering compassion and Buddhism supported my listening practice at work and in my personal relationships. We may believe that there are secret approaches to listen better. However, I have found that by shifting my mindset to accept situations, people, words stated, actions expressed, sentiments, or who I am as-is improves listening. We often don't realize how the stories we tell ourselves obscure our perception of what's happening around us. Acceptance allows us to go beyond that and listen with less judgment to see reality and truth (or the existence of many truths). And once we see that truth, we can be more open to build honest relationships.
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Listening provides a foundation for any conversation, communication, or relationship. However, too many opportunities for misunderstanding can emerge from the complexities involved in listening itself. And that makes listening a fascinating topic to contemplate.
I love to listen to people and learn about their life stories. Whenever I listen to others, I listen to their words, stories, actions, emotions, and feelings, and I observe my emotional responses to them. I not only discover who they are, but I have my own experience interacting with them, bringing my own sense of meaning to that conversation. Listening then becomes an exercise in being present with someone else, helping them feel seen and heard, and not alone. I accept others as they are and their experiences as their truth.
In these pages, I share how I embrace acceptance. I describe how my journey discovering compassion and Buddhism supported my listening practice at work and in my personal relationships. We may believe that there are secret approaches to listen better. However, I have found that by shifting my mindset to accept situations, people, words stated, actions expressed, sentiments, or who I am as-is improves listening. We often don't realize how the stories we tell ourselves obscure our perception of what's happening around us. Acceptance allows us to go beyond that and listen with less judgment to see reality and truth (or the existence of many truths). And once we see that truth, we can be more open to build honest relationships.
Acceptance: The key to being a good listener
Listening is highly personal and subjective. After any conversation, we may be able to recall its topic, outcome, specific words, tone, or emotions expressed, but it's almost impossible to determine if all conversation participants had a shared understanding of its meaning. Even if a conversation was recorded and the participants' intentions and motivations were documented, there is no way to confirm that everyone heard or remembered a conversation similarly. Further, it's challenging to determine if everyone who participated had an opportunity to honestly and safely express their thoughts and felt confident that those thoughts were accepted, heard, and understood.
Listening provides a foundation for any conversation, communication, or relationship. However, too many opportunities for misunderstanding can emerge from the complexities involved in listening itself. And that makes listening a fascinating topic to contemplate.
I love to listen to people and learn about their life stories. Whenever I listen to others, I listen to their words, stories, actions, emotions, and feelings, and I observe my emotional responses to them. I not only discover who they are, but I have my own experience interacting with them, bringing my own sense of meaning to that conversation. Listening then becomes an exercise in being present with someone else, helping them feel seen and heard, and not alone. I accept others as they are and their experiences as their truth.
In these pages, I share how I embrace acceptance. I describe how my journey discovering compassion and Buddhism supported my listening practice at work and in my personal relationships. We may believe that there are secret approaches to listen better. However, I have found that by shifting my mindset to accept situations, people, words stated, actions expressed, sentiments, or who I am as-is improves listening. We often don't realize how the stories we tell ourselves obscure our perception of what's happening around us. Acceptance allows us to go beyond that and listen with less judgment to see reality and truth (or the existence of many truths). And once we see that truth, we can be more open to build honest relationships.
Listening provides a foundation for any conversation, communication, or relationship. However, too many opportunities for misunderstanding can emerge from the complexities involved in listening itself. And that makes listening a fascinating topic to contemplate.
I love to listen to people and learn about their life stories. Whenever I listen to others, I listen to their words, stories, actions, emotions, and feelings, and I observe my emotional responses to them. I not only discover who they are, but I have my own experience interacting with them, bringing my own sense of meaning to that conversation. Listening then becomes an exercise in being present with someone else, helping them feel seen and heard, and not alone. I accept others as they are and their experiences as their truth.
In these pages, I share how I embrace acceptance. I describe how my journey discovering compassion and Buddhism supported my listening practice at work and in my personal relationships. We may believe that there are secret approaches to listen better. However, I have found that by shifting my mindset to accept situations, people, words stated, actions expressed, sentiments, or who I am as-is improves listening. We often don't realize how the stories we tell ourselves obscure our perception of what's happening around us. Acceptance allows us to go beyond that and listen with less judgment to see reality and truth (or the existence of many truths). And once we see that truth, we can be more open to build honest relationships.
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Acceptance: The key to being a good listener
Acceptance: The key to being a good listener
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Product Details
| BN ID: | 2940184360935 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Mary Brodie |
| Publication date: | 06/24/2025 |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | eBook |
| File size: | 3 MB |
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