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Speaking
Over People
When
We Lose Our Ability To Listen
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Lisa
S. Lawless, Ph.D., C.E.O.
Holistic Wisdom Founder
Defensive
speaking seems to be the way many of us communicate. I personally
have been guilty of focusing on what I am going to say rather
than fully listening with an open mind and waiting until the person
speaking to me is finished. Seems we interrupt people and cut
them off only to competitively get our point across.
I was reminded
of this when I was speaking to my brother recently about a controversial
subject. It was kind of funny because we both agreed about it,
but I found myself pouncing on his statements with more enthusiasm
about what I was saying and less about what he was trying to convey.
After noticing
this, I apologized to him for not being as respectful of his thoughts
as I should have been. While I have known the importance of active
listening for a long time and am quite practiced at it as a therapist,
I find that in personal relationships I have to remind myself
once in a while to slow down and really listen.
I think we
all need reminding of this from time to time in this world often
too busy to really take in not just the words that someone is
speaking, but the essence of the person speaking them and allowing
ourselves to really "be" with the person we are talking
with.
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Love
& Light,
Lisa
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