In Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh’s book: How to Love, he discusses the importance of listening with patience. He states that by allowing the other person to speak freely, we will begin to see the other person more deeply and understand them better. By listening in a manner of receiving the information rather than reacting to the information, we can be in the now. As hard as it may be, by not cutting the other person off and/or criticizing them we can listen deeply with all of our heart. Even if we implement this practice for 10 minutes or even for a full hour, our loved one will greatly appreciate the time to speak freely and share their thoughts.
Next time you are speaking with a loved one, try to remember this practice of listening and see how your partner reacts. Hold your initial thoughts, reactions and feelings until they are done speaking and see how the conversation flows.
shauna paynter
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