Are you listening? That’s the question that I’m asking today because a lot of miscommunication happens in relationships because people aren’t listening. In fact, just this past week I sent out a communication and throughout the whole communication I clearly used the word I and instead of people receiving what I said it was internalized and they made it about themselves.
And instead of coming to me directly and telling me that they didn’t understand what I was talking about or that they took the communication personally it was brought to me by a third party. So I ask you are you listening when someone is speaking to you because if you’re not you’re gonna end up with a lot of miscommunication in your relationship and possibly hurt feelings when that should not be the case.
So three things that you can do to make sure that you are listening when someone is speaking to you about themselves.
Number one make sure your mind is clear. So sometimes we go through things and those things stay with us. They have already happened. We can’t change anything about them, but we are still thinking about them. They are still a priority in our mind. So if somebody is speaking to you and you’re stuck on thinking about what has already happened or maybe you’re also thinking about what you need to do later on during the day you are not present. You are not focused. You are not really listening to what that person is saying. So make sure that your mind is clear that way you are focused on what that person is saying to you.
Number two make sure that you do not assume or read things that are not there. So I have should not have to say this but it is needed. It is necessary because sometimes we sense or we read things that are not there. We assume things and that person that’s speaking to you they’re not responsible for your assumptions. So you can assume something that’s not there and then be frustrated and upset with that person but that person never said what you assumed. You assumed that and nobody is responsible for your assumptions. So again do not assume or read things that aren’t there because again if it’s written communication and you’re reading something that is not being said to you, again that’s an assumption and you’re putting your assumptions on another person. And you cannot grow and develop a relationship when you are assuming or reading things that are not there.
And number three the open to respond. So again if you’re going to grow and develop a relationship with somebody you have to be open and willing to communicate with them. They should not be hearing from a third party how you feel about something they have said especially when they have said it’s directly to you. Now they’re talking to you and instead you go and talk to somebody else about something that they have said to you. You have just shut down all possibility of them coming to you again most likely and developing or trying to communicate with you again. Because you have taken this opportunity to be open to them to respond to them and when told somebody else how you were feeling when you should have brought that to them.
Now be mindful that if you take something that someone has said and internalize it and make it about you then you are not listening to what they have said to you about them.
~EXALTED ROYALTY~ A C. E. SAM COMPANY
