Hello everyone. We are off to another week and it looks to be a good one. Over the past weekend I talked to various people on different subject matters. I started to realize more and more about how my outlook on the discussion made a big difference. Let’s talk today about how communication is not merely about talking but about listening to what the other person is saying with a curious mindset.
Many times an argument is brought about not because people don’t agree about the same thing but because they refuse to listen to the other party. When we don’t listen intently about what is being said then we may fail to acknowledge where the other person is coming from. When this happens we may start to criticize what is being said since we can’t see the bigger picture. Taking a step back, we open our mind to perhaps be aware that we may actually not have all the information yet to make an informed decision or conclusion.
When we choose to listen more intently we also are able to accept the role as a student rather than a teacher. Every person big, small, young, old, etc. can add value to others lives if we choose to see it as a lesson. Being able to see that life teaches you in many ways may help you realize that sometimes solutions to our problems are actually right in front of us. It is not until we are able to take a broader look do we start to see where any frustration or disagreement can be coming from. This of course doesn’t mean you should agree with everything that is said. It is more so that whatever is being said you can see it with a neutral lens and gain the evidence to be able to make an appropriate analysis. We all want to feel correct, nonetheless when we choose to be a student of who we interact with during the day we can continually realize we may not have all the answers.
Dr. Chip
