As a life coach, it is my job to consciously listen. Seems like that should be easy considering we have two ears and the natural ability to process speech, but hearing is not conscious listening.
While I agree that we live in a multi-tasking, fast-paced world, I disagree with the idea that the world has changed. The world remains the same; we have changed. We have turned our world into “social media” and are consumed with our cell phones, texting, and emailing.
Not only do I consciously listen, I consciously watch people. What I see 
is people barely completing one call before going on to the next as well as fingers moving frantically across micro/macro keyboards in order to send messages along as quickly as possible. Even when speaking directly, often the listener is not fully engaged but waiting to get their point across or appearing to be distracted by some “mind chatter” from within. Where is the processing time; the time to reflect on what is being said and to understand the true meaning that often is hidden behind the words?
HAVE YOU HEARD THE SOUND OF SILENCE LATELY?
I teach my clients to meditate, which is just another way of saying become quiet. In that quiet one can hear the exquisite sound of silence–a sound that soothes the mind and comforts the soul.
Conscious listening not only helps us communicate and relate better with our business clients, our family and friends, but more importantly, it opens a gateway that allows our Higher Power to reveal inner understanding and wisdom to us.
TAKE A FEW MINUTES…
7 minutes 50 seconds to be exact, to watch this great video my friend Dean Mercado of Online Marketing Muscle shared with me and learn how to be a conscious listener.
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Thank you for the article. It really can be difficult to just sit down and listen at times – I think we all need to step back and hear what others have to say!