Choosing to Listen to Others and to Myself

@bethvogt

 

When I chose “listen” as my One Word for 2020, I had no idea how this year was going to play out.

None of us expected any of the circumstances of 2020. I’ve found ways to manage the ongoing chaos. I start each day by reading Psalm 91. Limit how much news I watch. Look forward to the daily memes my son-in-love Nate sends the family, like the one that said, “You made it to June 2020. Welcome to level 6 of Jumanji.”

We’re six months into this year, which is when I like to evaluate how my One Word is influencing my choices. And yes, listening continues to be a priority.

I’ve learned there’s two parts to listening:

How well I’m listening to what other people are saying to me
How well I’m listening to what I’m saying to myself

At the start of 2020, I focused solely on listening to others. Being intentional about lasering in when someone talked to me. I avoided texting or posting on Facebook or working on a graphic when I was in the middle of a conversation – either face-to-face on when I was on the phone with someone. In the past, I believed I could listen and multitask. Even worse, sometimes I’d process what I wanted to say while the other person was still talking.

I still want to others to know I’m all in when they’re talking to me. That my silence indicates I hear them, not that I’m thinking about something else or wishing I was somewhere else. And I want to listen to both the comfortable and uncomfortable conversations.

But I’m realizing I also need to listen to what I’m saying to myself throughout the day. I need to pay closer attention to my internal self-talk.

This year’s been rough. I go to bed weary and wake up weary. Yes, circumstances are difficult right now – and that is an understatement – but I also have a choice about how I react to what’s happening. How I think about things. I need to monitor the chatter inside my head because my internal dialogue influences my emotions, which affects my outlook.

I need to be aware of the negative things I allow to ram around my head because listening to that kind of thinking wears me down. I need to mute that kind of talk. Change channels. Choose kinder, gentler words. Amplify the positive.

So that’s me and my One Word halfway through 2020. How are you doing with your One Word? And if you didn’t pick One Word, it’s not too late. Or maybe you need to check your self-talk, too. Care to join me?

 

Choosing to Listen to Others and to Myself https://bit.ly/2YhgGqU #perspective #listening
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'The most basic of all human needs is the need to understand and be understood. The best way to understand people is to listen to them.' Quote by Ralph Nichols https://bit.ly/2YhgGqU #relationships #listen
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