I want to encourage you this week to consider using the concept of seek first to understand before you attempt to get others to understand you.
We all want to be understood. In Stephen Covey’s book Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. He suggests that we cultivate this approach. If what we desire is understanding give it first. Being heard and being understood are very important parts to our humanness our sense of connection, our sense of belonging.
Think about a time when you experience someone listening to you. No interruption really present with you. How did that make you feel? Didn’t you then want to listen to them? Did you not feel such a sense of connection and belonging a sense of importance? There is a direct correlation between how we listen and how we live and I will say that again there is a direct correlation between how we listen and how we live. Most often people who are truly interested in another’s perspective are also interested in the perspective of all. Often these people are the ones that listen to nature. So they can understand what Nature needs what nature has to offer they are so also are the ones that listen to children and the elderly and those are that are hurting. In other words people who seek first to understand and are good listeners tend to be more compassionate because of a sense of connection to all things and everyone. If there is anything in the world needs right now it is that sense of connection-oneness. It’s called compassion one step toward compassion is to seek first to understand before you attempt to get others to understand you.
This is my encouragement from the heart to you. I do urge you to go to a Voice of Reason’s website and check out all of the things that I have to offer as part of my contribution to this planet. Have a wonderful week.
