Are you listening or hearing?
Yeah you heard me right? But did you listen to what I said?
The first thing you do when someone says just listen to me, you automatically listen to them with intent. You wouldn’t just hear them out, rather would listen attentively. That’s the difference. Ear is one of your sensory organ and its function is to hear. But listen with your mind and heart and carefully respond to one’s conversation.
In any relationship it is advised listening to the other person’s words rather than just hearing them. It makes a whole world of difference.
It is very important that a child listen to his/her parents and vice-versa. As a parent it’s crucial that you listen to the silent cries of your child who is trying to make you understand his/her tricky situation and is unable to express themselves in proper words. So is, in the case of a teenager’s outbursts or emotional traumas/dramas the urgency for hearing them out by an elder or a parent or anybody wise to listen to them than just hear.
One of the most recommended processes of any marriage counseling is that the partners are made to sit and listen to each other’s conversation without any distraction. You understand one’s thoughts or actions when someone explains to you and when you listen to them whole heartedly. Many break-ups/divorces have been terminated with just this simple step, for which many couple doesn’t’ find time.
In some cases if you have noticed that the camaraderie between elderly people and grand children works well, as a skip in a generation sometimes brings them closer, for they listen to one another and its bliss to watch them interact. They have that instant connection and its almost always endearing.
So the key here is when someone opens up to you where they want to be understood, share their thoughts, take some time out to listen to them, as they want to be heard. Half of quarrels and fights might end up with just communicating with one another and by listening with care.
Your ears might want to hear
to make your mind clear;
the heart may wander
for the soul to surrender;
but as the voice gets fader,
stop & listen, for you should begin to ponder
what this all really means and wonder.
So the next time you listen and not just hear
for there is no fear but to cheer.
