Communication works best when it is a two way street. Lately it seems the emphasis has moved to responding and away from listening. Even in our listening we are busy crafting our reply. Without listening to understanding there is no communication. I think all people desire to be understood. It's part of what makes us human: to understand, to comprehend, and to empathize with another person. As close as we can feel to one another, we can also feel miles apart and isolated when our attempts to communicate fail. Listen, seek to understand, respond only when you understand.

It doesn't seem like we have conversations anymore. Not like we used to. Seems like we used to listen and talk all the time. We'd pick up the phone, drop by a friend's house, or meet them somewhere. Now, we post, text, and tend to do a lot more "talking" than listening. Try to really listen to someone today. Start by listening to your friends and family. It's good practice and you might see some immediate benefit in your personal life.

Bottom Line: Listening is a skill, a habit, something we can work to improve our whole lives.