Are you a good listener? Have you ever thought about that?
True listening is a selfless act. It actually requires us to put ourselves aside for that moment – our opinions, our wandering thoughts – and really hear what the other person has to say.
I’m self-lecturing here because I am the worst at this! I’m not proud to admit it (especially given that my name, Samantha, literally translates to ‘listener’ in Aramaic…damn) but honestly, I struggle to enter a conversation and really hear the other person the entire time. Often I’m half listening and half formulating my next response in my head… even while the other person is still speaking. Unfortunately, I don’t think I’m the only one.