Are You Paying Listening?
The other day I was attending a networking meeting and I was rehearsing (in my head) what I wanted to say during my 1 minute presentation. I quickly realized that I really didn’t hear the two people before me because I was so caught up in my own thinking. My experience was in my head, and focused on me and NOT the person who was speaking. I can’t even remember what they said.
Can you relate to this? Everyone I’ve talked with has experienced, at one time or another, not being able to focus on what’s in front of them because of their busy thinking. We get so caught up in our own thinking that we can’t hear another person. Or the other person is speaking and we try to relate what they are saying to our own experience. And we end up thinking about our experience and not listening to what the person is actually saying.
The fact is, that this behavior is not good or bad… it just IS. It is the way we operate as human beings. At first, when I caught myself doing this the other day, I started to judge my behavior. And not in a good way. But then I let it go and just noticed what I was doing. That brought me back to listening mode.
When we start to notice that we are caught up in our own thinking, it opens the possibility for neutrality. And can bring us into the present where the magic really happens.
Have you had an experience where you were so caught up in your own thinking, that you missed what was going on around you? Please leave a note!
Cheers ~ Mike Hurd, Business & Life Coach
