Constant improvement

Each day that you awaken is an opportunity for personal growth. There are two traits that we could each benefit from developing: listening and empathy. When was the last time you truly listened to another person share what matters? How do you feel when someone you know listens deeply to your concerns and dreams? Effective listening requires that you suspend your own need to be heard and place the other person's needs above your own for the time you are communicating. We probably spend more time formulating our responses than we do actually listening. Take in the words and the emotions of the speaker and then paraphrase or summarize them so the speaker knows you have been listening. This also affects empathy in which you have a sense of what the other person is experiencing in the moment. You would be less quick to judge or act against another if you could 'step into their shoes' to have a sense of where they are in their lives. The other person may be acting out of fear, loss, or frustration. This colors how they live in that moment. Perhaps what they need most in that moment is for someone to interact with them in a way that does not devalue them as an individual for where they are. We often do this when we look down upon others based on our own fears and limitations. Think about how you could be of service to others today by improving your listening skills and your willingness to empathize with them. What are you willing to do to improve those abilities today?