“Being heard
is so close to being loved
that for the average person,
they are almost indistinguishable.”
― David Augsburger
“I care about who you are, who you have been, who you want to be. I open myself to you to listen and learn about you. I cherish you, not just my fantasy of who you are, not just who I need you to be, but who you really are…”
― Betty Berzon
“It takes two to speak the truth - one to speak and another to hear.”
― Henry David Thoreau
"Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply.”
― Stephen R. Covey
"Listening is a magnetic and strange thing, a creative force. The friends who listen to us are the ones we move toward. When we are listened to, it creates us, makes us unfold and expand."-- Karl Menninger
"Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply.”
― Stephen R. Covey
"Listening is a magnetic and strange thing, a creative force. The friends who listen to us are the ones we move toward. When we are listened to, it creates us, makes us unfold and expand."-- Karl Menninger
"To listen is to continually give up all expectation and to give our attention, completely and freshly, to what is before us, not really knowing what we will hear or what that will mean. In the practice of our days, to listen is to lean in, softly, with a willingness to be changed by what we hear. "-- Mark Nepo
“To meet at all, one must open ones eyes to another; and there is no true conversation no matter how many words are spoken, unless the eye, unveiled and listening, opens itself to the other.”
When I think of the way in which I want to listen and to be listened to, I think about prayer. I think about how it feels to pour out your heart's worries and desires to Heavenly Father, who is always there waiting to listen, rarely speaks, but always wraps the warmth of His spirit around you and if needs be, sends someone to help you. And that is how I want to be.
And a special thank you to my readers for reading the posts that I write, which are in reality all little parts of me that I try to have the courage to share. Thank you for considering me for a moment even if you do not agree. Sometimes, it feels good just to be seen and accepted, flaws and all.
5 comments:
Sandra, you are a really good listener. When we were having dinner together a few weeks ago, I noticed that you asked me three times as many questions as I asked you and you intently listened and asked followup questions to whatever I answered. I appreciate that and learned from it. Thank you.
I think sometimes people want to listen and hear and understand but the communication has barriers due to preconceived ideas of what the other person is doing or saying. My interpretation of what others say reflects my own ideas and fears about them and about myself. People respond without really understanding the entire situation as well as you do so they can rarely respond well. How people respond says more about who they are then who you are because they only really know themselves. Communication is hard and fraught with all sorts of problems. That is why prayer is great because you can feel that God totally understands everything. People want to help but they really can't so I suppose it is best to say, I hear you and I dont have the answers but I care about you no matter what. Easier said then done though.
Wonderful insight, Jennefer. I think you are so right about how people respond being more about who they are because we really only know ourselves. Thank you for your insights!
"Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply.” I feel very few people ever Hear the words we say, they are just anxious to Hear their own voices replying.
You've always been a good listener to me. I hope someday that I can become better at this. I feel like I could be a LOT better at listening without inserting my own opinion, just simply listening. There have been times in my life where I haven't wanted advice but have been given it or pity when I didn't think I needed to be pitied and all I wanted was to be heard. I think that's what we all want, is to be heard and for SOMEONE to listen without the preconceived ideas like Jenefer said.
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