I learned something new today…
I did not know that the word listen uses the same letters as the word silent.
I love that….
I have always known to be a good listener, you must be silent while listening….
But I have also learned that to be a good listener is not only about silencing my voice…
I have learned that to be a good listener, I must silence my voice, my mind and my heart. It has taken me lots of practice to know how to settle myself enough to really hear when I am listening. I want to be able to offer specific words back, be curious about the layers of what is being shared and listen for where I may want to say, tell me more about this or that….
I must remember to set aside judgement and thoughts that I want to be sure to share….
I must remember that to listen well is to not finish the story or add insight into the story based on what I am thinking or feeling…
And so, I find it simply fascinating that silence has the same letters as listen. Simply fascinating!
