LISTEN WITH YOUR HEART

I went to see a new doctor recently. The way he listened to me, I felt important and that every thing I said to him had value. It reminded me of a boss I once had that gave you his undivided attention when you were speaking to him and made you feel really special.

While I was waiting in the doctor’s office, I picked up the Ladies Home Journal magazine to read to pass the time. One article caught my attention. It was written by Dr. Stephen Post, Ph.D & Jill Neimark. It was telling about a near-fatal accident a Psychologist, Daniel Gottlieb, had in which his cervical spine was severed, leaving him paralyzed from the waist down. While laying in ICU, a nurse approached him and spoke about her struggles and while listening to her, he realized he could live as a quadriplegic and still help save another life just by listening, listening with his heart.

Researchers found that former American prisoners of war didn’t break down from physical deprivation & torture as quickly as they did from solitary confinement - separated from other prisoners with whom they could talk and know the other prisoners would listen to them.

It seems to me that listening to others is something we all should cultivate.

A Wise old bird sat on an oak
The more he saw, the less he spoke
The less he spoke , the more he heard.
Lord, make me like that wise old bird.
Anon

I think Bill’s mother was like that wise old bird. When with a group of people she sat back and let other people talk. When asked why she was so quiet, her reply was: “I learn more that way.”

When we really listen, we are affirming the teller’s essential worth. When we listen and are listened to, we begin to feel secure in our relationship with others. Only by listening (with our heart) can we know what a person is thinking or feeling. People like to be with those who show they really care about them. Everything worthwhile that we become is the result of someone believing in us.