When is the last time that you stopped to listen? Not just “hear” what someone had to say, but actually listen? What did you learn?

 When we listen to others, our goal should be to make them feel valued. If you are just waiting for your turn to jump in with something to say, you are not really listening.

 I remember when my son was first born, both he and my wife ended up as patients in the hospital for almost two weeks. I cannot express how much it meant to me as a visitor/family member to have people just listen. What a difference it can make!

 But the truth is, many times we think we are “too busy” to listen. We miss out on the opportunity to be part of something beautiful: a human relationship.  Take some time this week to have a real conversation – not a Facebook posting, not a text message, not even a phone call. Try talking with someone face-to-face, and just listen.

 Then you will see what you may have been missing…

 Thank you to everyone who took the time to listen to me.

I want to end with the questions I started with: When is the last time that you stopped to listen? Not just “hear” what someone had to say, but actually listen? What did you learn?

 [Top Image: “Listen” by Ky Olsen. Licensed through Creative Commons 2.0.]