Listen. Be a listener.

It´s not a skill. It´s a virtue for becoming better humans.

Feb 25, 2023

Image retrieved from Flaticon.com via Freepik

Listening isn´t equal to teaching

First thing´s first: for us to be good listeners, we need a slightly different approach to the concept in itself. The fundamental skill for listening is (roll drums please) patience. Patience is more than necessary for hearing, and even for talking too.

We want so desperately to guide the soul on the other side that we start entering their world, their space, without even realizing if our guidance is truly directed toward their benefit.

It´s easy to let our feelings and thoughts escape, in the form of judgments or advice. We may want to do good, but first, we need to get a whole picture of the soul´s world, of its roots, chaos, understandings, of its view. We can´t work with just a glimpse of it, right?

It´s comprehensible: we want to help, we want to solve the problem, but teaching a possible solution will just create more problems. We are not able to guide without first knowing the motives for that change.

You are not trying to solve the problem right away, you are making a firm promise that you will follow the process to healing, you´ll be right there, guarding, waiting. Listening is helping you decipher the roots of the problem, not guessing its possible solutions.

Listening isn´t showing the way, is understanding it.

As Ryan Holiday´s book claims, The Obstacle is the Way. There´s no other way. At least that´s humanly possible. The same applies here: we can show a new path, a new view, but the harsh truth is that to lead, we must give the lead.

The soul that´s being affected by its own world will ultimately show a way out of that crumbling place, but it´s work and lead that we can´t take, the confronted soul has to.

So, for visualizing a way to turn things for the better, we should start asking and digging for more ground beneath, not creating additional pieces that won´t fit the puzzle.

Being a soul that listens changes the game you are seeing

Now, what´s the point of hearing? What´s the point of listening anyway?

Well, ultimately the root of many problems in our lives and in today´s world have been started by the lack of comprehension, by the indifference to our actions, and by the solid work of noise without limits on its own.

Love is based on hearing, teaching is based on hearing, families are based on hearing, marketing is based on hearing, learning is based on hearing, and our whole lives are based on hearing.

Sometimes we think all of the answers will come to us, all ideas, visions, and stories will come to us. For that to happen, we must be willing to hear what life has to offer, and what others have to offer. Our doors must be opened for growth to enter.

Helping others ultimately leads to better success, a better life, for a better community. It´s more than worth it being a listener for all, and also for yourself. You´ll see the impacts being a good listener can have.

A gift of silence that can make a lot of noise

Listening is ultimately a gift. A gift for yourself, a gift for everybody you are with. Think of it as your superpower that can impact many of your relationships, many of your actions, and most importantly, your legacy.

Giving time to others is already a loving “sacrifice” that I denominate as the “proof of one´s vivid soul”. And using that time not for being yourself, but for being the soul that is there to understand it´s affected equally, is just an outstanding act of kindness, and that´s exactly what the world needs.

There´s no other way of leveling up our lives without putting our ego and judgment aside and letting the silence make some noise from inside.

Remember, if you change your inputs, you might reframe your outputs, so listen carefully. Let me know how it goes.

`The Weekly Update`

📜 Recently diving into a daily reflection practice thanks to The Daily Stoic: Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living. It´s such a clarifying method for managing our emotions and ideas.
💡 “It´s a beautiful thing when you prove to the world you are who you say you are.” A mantra for life.
📸 I´ve been working on several filming projects and might write some cool experiences I have retrieved from them. Would you be interested? Let me know.
🎙️ Episode 318 the Danny Miranda Podcast, a talk with John Fio. This had been recommended by a friend,
TEN BULLETS
, and it´s an absolute must-watch. Got some beautiful ideas from there =)