Did you hear that?

"Weren't you listening?"

"How can you possibly be listening if you are still talking?"

Every year my children continue to teach me and help me with my communication skills. One of the most important skills is the ability to listen. I am not talking about the ability to hear. Let's just start with a couple of definitions:

Hearing - To perceive or apprehend by the ear; to gain knowledge of by hearing; to listen to with attention.

Listening - To pay attention to sound; to hear something with thoughtful attention; to give consideration; to be alert to catch an unexpected sound.

"To hear something with thoughtful attention" As a child, I lacked SO much self-control and I was not trained to stop and listen, that it was difficult for me to listen. There was so much noise in my head that I would go to sleep to very loud rock music....there were headphones back then but I preferred my portable radio.

At the ripe old age of 20, I began to listen as only the dying can. A 180 was needed in my life and so far, I had not done well at all in running my own life. If I really wanted a life, I needed to start listening to others. It was humbling and I was desperate. Desperate for much needed change. Even though I still had an attitude towards authority, I discovered that I needed to submit to someone else rule in my heart, in my mind.....

stop

listen

become

teachable......

This post is sort of disjointed but that is ok with me. I need to be listening more these days.