Time To Listen

"Never fail to know that if you are doing all the talking, you are boring somebody." - Helen Gurley Brown, writer, editor, and businesswoman

I believe it's time to listen. Everywhere I look lately I'm seeing reminders that listening is very important, including this quote for the day. I've seen posts about "talking too much" from friends on Facebook and I've seen "listening" quotes on Twitter from published authors as well. This always means that a theme is in the works and I need to sit up and take notice!

Growing up, I always seemed to feel as if no one ever listened to me. I'm sure they did. It simply was my perception that no one EVER listened to what I had to say. Apparently, in my younger years, I thought I had a lot to say and everyone should have been paying attention only to me. It took me awhile to grow up, mature a bit, and recognize that listening is just as important as talking.

People appreciate it when I simply listen to what they have to say. It's an honor to have someone share part of themselves with me. It's also an honor when my friends listen to me. There needs to be a balance and I practice listening to others every day. Some days I want to jump in and tell my friends what they should do or how they should fix their dilemma. But that's not my responsibility (unless I'm coaching of course). My responsibility is to respect others by listening to them. I will only offer suggestions if they ask for them.

I love the above quote. Today I will ask my Higher Power to keep me from boring anyone. Today I will listen and I will learn.