Thursday, September 26, 2013

Hearing and Listening Are Very Different

Listening is an art. In fact, sometimes I think it's a gift. This past week I spent some time with our HITC students learning about "listening".  Most people hear, but not all listen. Listening is the ability to accurately receive messages in the communication process, whether verbal or non-verbal. When you think about it, listening is one of the golden nuggets of communication. If someone isn't a listener, things can be easily misunderstood, communication can break down and people become frustrated. With the busy pace of life we must always be on the alert to truly be listeners and not simply hearers. Whether it's my wife, my kids, my friends, and especially the Lord, I must be a listener. One who always is hearing and understanding the heart of what's being communicated. I want to be a better listener. I want to understand the heart of others from what they're communicating to me. That means I need to stop talking, not be distracted, be patient, avoid any personal prejudice and watch for any non-verbal communication. These things don't come easy. In fact they take work and practice. But the payoff is that others will know you really care because you're willing to listen. Will you make the transition from being a hearer to a listener?

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