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InnerSelf's Daily Inspiration
August 7, 2024
The focus for today is:
I am learning to be a good listener by practicing empathy.
Today's inspiration was written by Fay Short:
Being a good listener means having empathy. But empathy is one of the most misunderstood listening skills. Empathy is what we feel when we are trying to understand the world from the perspective of another person.
The only way to understand how someone feels is to listen to them, without assuming that they feel the same as you did in that situation. As you practice trying to see the world through the frame of reference of the person who is speaking, you will find that you are less likely to misunderstand, less likely to rush in with advice, and more likely to connect on a deeper level.
You will know when you are building rapport through listening because you will start to genuinely want to hear and understand that person. You will stop wanting to interrupt. You will stop trying to push the conversation in a certain directio. You will stop getting distracted by things around you or your internal voice. Instead, you will become immersed in the world the speaker is sharing. And this is how to be a good listener.
CONTINUE READING:
Today's inspiration was adapted from the InnerSelf.com article:
Master the Art of Listening: Understanding Empathy as a Key Skill
Written by Fay Short, Bangor University.
Read the complete article here.
About the Author: Fay Short, Professor, Human and Behavioural Sciences, Bangor University
This is Marie T. Russell, co-publisher of InnerSelf.com, wishing you a day of listening to others with empathy (today and every day)
Comment from Marie: Our monkey mind has difficulty simply listening to others. It wants to pick the nits out of their hair, or make its own noises. Listening necessitates silence -- both internal and external. It necessitates calmness both outside and inside. And it necessitates putting our whole attention on what the other person is saying and feeling.
Our focus for today: I am learning to be a good listener by practicing empathy.
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RELATED BOOK: The Genius of Empathy
The Genius of Empathy: Practical Skills to Heal Your Sensitive Self, Your Relationships, and the World
by Judith Orloff.
The Genius of Empathy offers practical, action-driven guidance for connecting our minds and hearts to embody our most authentic, fierce, and compassionate selves. “Cultivating empathy is a kind of peaceful warrior training,” says Dr. Orloff. “You will learn to be both strong and loving, neither a pushover nor rigid. Wherever you are in your life, this book can meet you there and lift you higher.”
Each chapter is filled with Dr. Orloff’s most valuable insights and tools for living with greater connection, safety, and empowerment as your empathic abilities blossom.
For more info and/or to order this book, click here. Also available as a Kindle edition.
