You Hear, But Do You Listen?

"DO YOU HEAR ME????"

"Yeah I hear you, I just choose not to listen....."


The art of listening is never synonymous with the sensation of hearing. I have experienced both spectrum of the above example and I'm sure many of us would have to in some point of our life, be it as a conscious or unconscious effort.

The skill of listening is also an art that needs to be cultivated, which many people do not realise and hence do not make an effort to improve on it. When I was much younger, I would be subjected to periodic sermons from the Father and mind you, some are very long. The personal record was closer to 5 hours than 4 1/2. During which, the painful audio amplitude and frequency would disturb my wakeful slumber and hence in the alternating drift between reality and the unconscious, I would pretend to listen so as to not offend him while in actual time my mind is just in ignore mode.

Through time and luck, people change. At least I've changed.

It is said that when you listen, you often learn something new.

(actually that was what my fortune cookie says today)

But from that little biscuit with a note in it........(hmmmm the note smells like biscuit too....i wonder if......mmmmmm)..... Anyway.... as silly as writing on fortunes from a cookie may sound, it does hold some amount of wisdom to it and upon reflection.

More often, people have a silent obligation to speak more than they should talk. And if the fortune cookie is right....that means these compulsive speakers would have something to share with us that may be remotely important if we so choose to accept it. Soooo.... that's where we will have to apply the skill of listening to only the important ones and processing it.

I was surprised that I could actually learn something from even the most insect-like perceived person. All I had to do was listen.

But like a two edge sword, there are times too when there is a reversal of roles, and I become that idiotic compulsive speaker and want to share more than my 2 cents worth..... then comes the second part of the problem.....who is going to listen to me???

Yeah sure I can catch anyone and force them to hear me out.....but to listen, to analyse and give constructive comments or critique my contents, thats what make a conversation alive and interesting.....

Someone who will listen to you uninterrupted with no spot opinions or suggestions.
Someone who will critique you when you're wrong not matter how close they are to you.
Someone who will advice you not because they think its best for you but how the situation fits.
Someone who will not change their perception of you because of what you said.

In my life I've only met a few people who can truly do that. Of them, only two whom I will ever listen to. Of the two, only one I will ever love whole heartedly.

To whom I am referring to. I hope you've been "listening" well. Thank you for everything.