Listening

"Listening" has been on my mind lately. I am not a very good listener and I have been trying to focus on learning how to listen better and to apply what I see in others who are good listeners. I am not easily entertained, and allow my mind to wander frequently if I am uninterested in what another is saying. Because of this, or else because I am very much interested in what another is saying and want to tell them so, or share a similar experience, I am known to interrupt A LOT. I try hard to learn names and use them, and I also try to remember specifics about people - whether it be where they are from, how many siblings they have and what they are currently involved in. I am very good at asking questions, and I know that helps others to think I am listening, but I believe that true listening doesn't just benefit the person you are listening to, but it benefits the listener as well. Somehow I think it creates an energy and a power as another places their strengths and weaknesses into your ears and life, and that transfers a special gift that is comparable to a circle of life where we all benefit from each other. Sometimes when we listen we hear things that hurt us, sometimes listening takes energy away. Other times we offer words that give energy to another, and then there are the times when both the speaker and the listener share a bond that comes from the gift of listening. I know this is an area I need to improve in, and perhaps because I have been focused on it, I was drawn towards the two pictures in this post out of the dozens of pictures taken last week. One is of my little (taller than me) brother "listening" to Little J and the other show my Mom "listening" to me. A glimpse into two individuals who have a gift for listening. And I must admit that it's a bit of a joke that the two chatter-boxes are myself and Little J! What secrets do you have about how to be a good listener?