Do you always have to know what you are going to say before you speak? Probably not but if you are like most people you don’t want to sound stupid and so you overanalyze how you respond to what’s being said.

But can you really listen if you’re thinking about how to respond? You can’t and yet that is what we all do…Our mind wanders and the next thing we know we’re thinking about an incident in the past or about something that might happen in the future.

How do we break this habit? It’s difficult but notice when this occurs. You might repeat silently to yourself what is being said…that will force you to be present. Put yourself in the other persons shoes. Instead of thinking about yourself and what comes to mind, imagine what its like for the other person. Consider who they are and what there capabilities are. What’s behind their words. Become a listener rather than a talker.

Journey On

Mark

JOURNEY ON is a blog dedicated to personal and professional development. Mark Susnow, an executive and life coach, inspires others to experience more fulfillment and success in their life. A former trial attorney for 30 years and musician, he integrates what it takes to be successful in the world with the inner wisdom unfolded to him through years of yoga and meditation. He also publishes, Letters on Life, an inspirational ezine. His articles reflect this journey in an inspirational and motivational way. http://www.inspirepossibility.com

This entry was posted on Wednesday, May 16th, 2007 at 11:33 am and is filed under inspiration, leadership development, relationships, life coaching, executive coaching, change, personal growth and development. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.