“The most sincere compliment we can pay is attention.” —Walter Anderson
Have you ever been talking to someone face to face and suddenly realize they are checked out, not paying attention to one word you are saying? Yeah, it is extremely maddening and insulting. I will confess, this is something I did too often during the early years of my marriage. My wife would get furious if she thought I was checked out. She would stop dead in her speech as say… “Are you listening to me, what did I just say?” Good Lord I hated that question. I would get so flustered even if I wasn’t checked out, I couldn’t remember what she had just said and my day was shot.
In my defense, this usually happened when I had a lot on my mind or she would talk to me from another room and she “thinks” I’m listening when I may be watching TV or on my computer reading Orangebloods, can I get an AMEN?
It should go without saying, but when you are in a conversation try your best to really listen, not just hear what the other is saying. Sometimes we get distracted by trying to think what we are going to say in response, we do “check out” and lose focus. I remember my sales training from years ago that God gave us two ears and one mouth, use them in that proportion. A good practice is to repeat some of the things the other has said so they know you are tuned in.
I hope the above keeps you from sleeping on the couch.
Hope y’all enjoy your Thursday!
James 1:19–20
TSK
Have you ever been talking to someone face to face and suddenly realize they are checked out, not paying attention to one word you are saying? Yeah, it is extremely maddening and insulting. I will confess, this is something I did too often during the early years of my marriage. My wife would get furious if she thought I was checked out. She would stop dead in her speech as say… “Are you listening to me, what did I just say?” Good Lord I hated that question. I would get so flustered even if I wasn’t checked out, I couldn’t remember what she had just said and my day was shot.
In my defense, this usually happened when I had a lot on my mind or she would talk to me from another room and she “thinks” I’m listening when I may be watching TV or on my computer reading Orangebloods, can I get an AMEN?
It should go without saying, but when you are in a conversation try your best to really listen, not just hear what the other is saying. Sometimes we get distracted by trying to think what we are going to say in response, we do “check out” and lose focus. I remember my sales training from years ago that God gave us two ears and one mouth, use them in that proportion. A good practice is to repeat some of the things the other has said so they know you are tuned in.
I hope the above keeps you from sleeping on the couch.
Hope y’all enjoy your Thursday!
James 1:19–20
TSK
