Monday, May 16, 2011
11:31 AM
Recently, I was boarding a plane when one of the passengers asked the flight attendant, “is the plane was a 737?” She said, “yes.” He then went on to ask, “Is it a hard top 737 or a convertible?” She stared at him. I said, “I hope it's not a convertible. It will mess up our hair.” We laughed and the flight attendant smiled. We moved on.
I know she understood his question/joke, I just don't think she was really listening to him. Too often, we aren't really listening to the people around us. Instead, we are going through the motions of work, home life, etc. My question for you, is what are we missing? I would dare to say, we are missing more than we realize. It's not the joke that the man was trying to tell that the flight attendant missed, it was the opportunity to connect with another person. We are missing valuable experiences when we aren't connecting with other people. This is an area I personally had to work on several years ago. I am a passionate person and I love to talk. But, I realized several years ago, I needed to be a better listener.
My dad used to say, “there is a reason God gave you 1 mouth and 2 ears.” You need to listen more and talk less. It's true in all you do. You will find your relationships and your business will be better if you listen more. It shows you value others, you care, and therefore, you connect with them better. We all want to matter and we all want to be loved. If you are truly listening to your kids, your husband, your business partner and your friends, you will be amazed at how much you'll learn and how your relationships will improve.
I'll give you an example of how it applies. I have a 7-year-old daughter and I have grandparents who are both 88 years old. These are two very different age groups at completely different stages of life. Yet, both need me to listen more and talk less. Why, simply put, because it shows I care about them and I love them. The same is true with my staff, my friends, and everyone I am in contact with. John Maxwell wrote a book I have mentioned before, but it's worth repeating, Everyone Communicates, Few Connect. Make an effort to connect with others, it will enhance your life and the lives of others.
God bless.