In life we encounter many people. People from all walks of life, of different ages and different points of view. That in itself is what should make others interesting, however occasionally we meet people who are only interested in themselves.
You know the kind of person, the one who will only do something if there is personal gain to be had, rather than thinking of how their actions could help another. Worse still are those who will only speak but not listen. Sound familiar? The sort of person who is only thinking of what they are going to say next, so they aren’t paying any attention to the subject matter or the views expressed by others. These are the people that are so easily identifiable because they will just keep asking you to repeat yourself while they finalise their own words.
These are the kind of people that are selfish in their actions through their words. To be generous, I believe it starts with listening. Only when we truly listen do we appreciate what is being said or what has happened. It gives us the opportunity to get the full picture and gain enough clarity it to be able to reason how we respond. Let the other person talk, let them explain. Encourage them to give as much detail as they feel is necessary to get across their true feelings. If you think they are seeking themselves short, then encourage even more. Encouraging prompts like “Tell me...” will make the see you are taking on board whatever it is they have to say.
It’s the same when speaking. I am softly spoken, but I refuse to raise my voice to be heard. If someone wants to hear me they just have to listen - it won’t make any difference whether I am talking in my normal voice or if I am shouting, the message is the same, but shouting detracts from how it is delivered.
It’s often said “it’s the quiet ones you have to watch out for”. I disagree. To me the “quiet ones” are the ones who are worth listening to the most. We are the ones who listen more than people give credit for, know more than we let on and keep ourselves fully informed. This is why, for the most part, we are worth listening to.
So whenever someone is taking and someone is listening, look out for the prompts of who really is listening and who really is worth listening to.
You could be stood in a field in the middle of nowhere, on your own, and still be heard. Your inner voice needs to/must be heard.
Learn who deserves an explanation,
Learn who deserves one answer,
Learn who deserves absolutely nothing.
Learn who deserves your company,
Learn who deserves to hear you,
Learn who deserves you.
Happy Damn Friday Peeps! x
I'd love to hear from you - you can reach me on:
@happydamnfriday on Twitter
happydamnfriday@outlook.com
happydamnfriday@yahoo.com
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