I am not the best listener in the world. I too desperately want to be heard. This desperation keeps me always ready to interject my thoughts at the next space in the conversation. I often feel that the person I’m speaking with wants to be as desperately heard as me. Thus, the conversation goes like this:

“Listen to me.”

“OK, now listen to me.”

“That’s nice, now listen to me.”

Most people aren’t even conscious of what is happening, but they do recognize the emptiness they feel after one of these conversations.

This is why I am so grateful for someone who truly listens to me. They can break the desperate “Listen to me” cycle. Once I feel listened to, I relax and feel so much more open to completely listening to the other person.

I am going to strive to listen more. Not the kind of listening that lets you feed into your next line, but real sincere listening. I suspect that the more I listen, the more I will be heard.

You must be the change you want to see in the world. Mahatma Gandhi