”You have been presented with a wonderful opportunity to listen and observe the world around you consciously. This is no small feat, as listening is something that many of us take for granted and do not fully appreciate its tremendous potential. Most often, we are too preoccupied with our own thoughts to even notice what is happening in the present moment. But by taking a step back from your usual thought patterns and focusing on truly being mindful in each moment, you can experience incredible rewards both internally and externally.
When it comes to listening consciously, there are several important aspects that need attention: focus, objectivity, openness, and understanding – all of which will help you gain new perspectives on yourself or another person’s experiences or ideas, allowing your conversations to become more profound than ever before!
For starters, let’s discuss focus – an essential component when it comes to conscious listening. Without this key ingredient, one cannot pay full attention to what they hear, so any message received may be filtered out by other distractions, including one’s internal dialogue/thoughts (which usually consists of worries related to past events). To combat this tendency, start off by removing external stimuli such as phones/computers, etc., and just simply sit down with someone – face-to-face if possible – shut out all background noise if necessary, and allow yourself time to concentrate solely on their words while maintaining full presence and focused eye contact throughout the conversation (this also helps establish trust between both parties). Once established, now try to actively involve yourself in the conversation through adding occasional reflections/questions and repeated summarizing points made throughout the talk, thus creating a connection between yourselves which enables further exploration beyond surface level communication and allows for deeper insight into the underlying issues discussed. By doing so, not only does active engagement create meaningful interactions, but it also acts as an open invitation for those talking to feel heard, thus allowing greater levels of comfortability within themselves when sharing stories, thereby making sure nothing gets lost along the way during the exchange of ideas.
Second, let’s look at objectivity, where the idea here again involves removing oneself from the situation at hand instead of looking at the matter more objectively rather than subjectively, considering personal biases might distort facts leading to inaccurate conclusions. Therefore, try to look past emotional responses towards rational solutions, hence helping make well-informed decisions after careful consideration of every angle of the topic raised over the course of the discussion. Moreover, one should note that various forms of bias exist depending upon the particular context. Some examples include confirmation bias, whereby one tends to search for information that supports their existing opinion, stereotype threat wherein one perceives a threat of becoming judged based on preconceived notions and perceptions, or gender bias located in the workplace environment due to gender differences in organizational culture, etc. So, bear in mind whenever you hear anything to consider the possibility of a diverse range of prejudices coming into play here either side of the table, meaning regardless of trying to remain objective it is a crucial point in gaining a clearer picture of the whole story, in order to arrive at the most beneficial outcome for everyone involved.
Additionally, it is important to remember to stay open to whatever topics arise though you might encounter certain subjects that you find uncomfortable or difficult to handle. However, one must keep in mind that the best way to move forward is to acknowledge these areas of difficulty and accept the challenge to work through them together, keeping an open mind to allow the individual to tell their journey with curiosity in an appropriate manner. The overall goal being to comprehend different points of view, in order to gain the greatest understanding possible.
And lastly, having a solid base knowledge regarding human nature and how people think and respond to various situations is a great tool to use in order to better understand others’ contexts, express emotions and feelings, and ultimately give you a chance to get inside somebody else’s head and relate to them on a far easier level, using empathy to bridge the gap of language and cultural misunderstandings.
In conclusion, conscious listening requires a lot of effort and practice, but the result is worthwhile in the end and extremely rewarding, particularly for those who are struggling to build trusting relationships with individuals in their closer circle of friends, family, colleagues, teachers, peers, marketers, business owners alike. Whether you are seeking advice, guidance, feedback, assistance, support, or constructive criticism, it means communicating with a person in an effective manner that opens the door to endless possibilities of ways to connect, learn, and grow. Therefore, strive to put a little extra time and invest energy in developing the skills mentioned above the next time you engage with anyone you know, in order to increase the chances of gaining valuable insights which can lead to greater clarity and purpose in the direction of life you take.”
Disclaimer: The information provided on this website is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you have any concerns or questions about your health, you should always consult with a physician or other qualified health-care professional. No action should be taken solely on the contents of this information. The contents of the website are provided for informational purposes only, and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
Guest Post by Stephanie Hampton