The Healing Powwr of Listening

I recently listened to Oprah Winfrey interviewing Thich Nhat Hanh, a monk who has practiced mindfulness for many years and written books on a variety of subjects, including listening.

He spoke of the healing power of listening, where you are in the moment with someone, giving them all you have to listen, without judgement or advice.

I have seen this work so many times through out my career as a negotiator and coach and in my own life as a step mum, partner, sister, aunt, friend and daughter.

When we listen and I mean really listen, we allow another time to think, talk, off load with safety and respect. We don’t tell them what they should or could do. Talking about a problem or a challenge helps the other person to work out their own solutions. As you reflect back what they say to you they can see the path, a path which has always been there but as they widen their own perspective it helps to increase focus on what to do next.

There is no magic formula to listening, it’s also not easy to give another person the whole of you, no internal chatter, no “well I would do this” and no sharing what happened to you.

How wonderful a gift Listening is and we all have it within us to give this gift and help someone else to heal.

Have a great day

Nicky