You may have heard the common wisdom that “we have two ears and one mouth… so, use your ears more than your mouth.” How many of us reach that goal?

I come from a long line of talkers – rowdy, boisterous talkers. When I got in trouble in elementary school, it was for talking. I like to attribute this to my quick thinking and need to share my powerful insight and humor, but I’m not sure my teachers would agree!

As I have moved beyond my elementary school years (well beyond), I have tried to get better at listening. I’m much better at it than I used to be, and I try hard to really hear what people are trying to say. Mostly I enjoy listening because I also enjoy watching, people-watching to be specific. Watching and listening lead to powerful learning. Recently, just by listening, I’ve learned about an immigrant’s move to the United States, a child’s gratitude to a grandparent and several people’s ideas about a political occurrence. Continue reading →