Listen to others with interest and purpose

It's the cutest thing ever.  If you say the word "secret", he'll lay his head on your shoulder and wait for you to whisper in his ear.  I love it.  There's just something really sweet about a giant dog laying their head on your shoulder.  

What I find most striking, is that he sits there incredibly still (which for him is in itself a major miracle.  He's never still even when he's sleeping).  He's waiting eagerly for you to speak into his ear.  It makes me feel so good!  Now, I'm not stupid.  I know he's waiting for one specific word when he puts his head down on my shoulder.  He's waiting for the word "play", but I think there is a great lesson in this that we could all learn from.  

How often do we listen to others with that type of intensity and purpose.  How much better would our relationships be if we did.  I'm not sure if you're anything like me, but I often catch myself fading off as I'm trying to focus to someone talking.  Maybe it's my ADHD personality but there are times when I truly find it difficult to focus my attention on what someone is saying.  How often do I really stop long enough to be interested in what someone is saying?  Seriously, if my large, dopey german shepherd can sit there quietly for a few moments to truly listen to what I'm saying, can't I calm my spirit enough to fully listen to someone with intent and purpose?

I encourage you to work on this lesson this week.  Try to focus not just on the words people are saying, but to the meaning and purpose behind them.  Being a great listener is an amazing skill and one that is often looked over in our day and age.  

This weeks favorite lesson, "Listen with interest and purpose"!