[vc_row padding_top=”0px” padding_bottom=”0px”][vc_column fade_animation_offset=”45px” width=”1/1″ id=”” class=”post-content” style=””][text_output]“No one listens to me!” We’ve all felt this way time and time again. We typically listen with our brains, casually and with no thought for the speaker. Listening is a special skill that many people THINK they have, but in fact, it is actually something few have learned to master.
There are five levels of listening:
1. Ignoring: this is the lowest level. Here we are not listening at all, we are in a totally different space. We often lose awareness of the people around us and are totally cut off.
2. Pretending: at this second level, we simply pretend to listen. We don’t want to really hurt the speaker but we actually are. Here we typically give default responses like, “okay” or” I see.” Of course, we are hoping that they never ask a question!
3. Selective: Here we pay attention to the speaker, but choose what to focus on. We only listen to what appeals to us, the rest goes ignored.
4. Attentive: At this particular level, the listener is totally soaked into the content. However, they are doing so whilst trying to formulate a response to what they hear, listening only from their perspective.
5. Empathetic: this is the topmost level of listening. Here, we are not simply listening, but trying to put ourselves into the other person’s shoes and allowing them to share their heart freely.
Listening is part of the process of transferring hearts between people. Everyone wants to feel that someone cares about their heart. It is not easy for us to open our mouths and share how we feel. What makes it worse is when we sense that no one wants to listen. However, we need to do more listening with our hearts.
Renowned author and educator Stephen Covey emphasized that true listening shouldn’t be focussed on just understanding the content of what is being said. Instead, the focus should be on understanding the other person’s heart. We can listen to words but the secret of being a great listener is going beyond the mere words and hearing the heart of others.
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