Why should I listen? I’ll just fake it and they won’t know I’m not listening.
This question and statement reveal one of the biggest gaps in many listening situations…..some people just don’t CARE. I have been thinking about the tremendous importance that CARE plays in all situations. In order to listen effectively, you have to CARE. This will shift your mindset to being open and receptive to receive messages from others. It is such an obvious idea….but it could also be the not so obvious to some.
- You have to CARE at home in order for you to listen
- You have to CARE at work in order for you to listen
- You have to CARE in all relationships in order for you to listen.
- You have to CARE about yourself in order to listen.
Anne Horne has served as a ‘home leader’ for over 60 years. She said, “I believe my family and other people respond positively to me because they know I have a genuine interest in them and that their well being is important to me. I care about them. I tend to get back from my family and others what I give to them. It is important that I always project myself with simple and constructive thoughts. I’ve learned that if I want to be heard and loved, it is necessary for me to communicate in a positive way with love and hope-filed language because negativity kills relationships and it incapacitates one’s ability to develop.”
If you don’t care, you won’t listen. It’s as simple as that.
Here is an acronym that help you to put care at the forefront of your listening:
C – ontinuous
A – wareness
R – equiring
E – mpathy
What are your thoughts about care and listening? Make Today Count! ~ Rick