The key to the art of listening is selectively. You stand guard at the ear-gateway to your mind, heart and spirit. You decide what you will accept….
Listen to the good. Tune your ears to love, hope and courage. Tune out gossip, fear and resentment.
Listen to the beautiful. Relax to the music of the masters; listen to the symphony of nature- hum of the wind in the treetops, bird songs, thundering surf.
Listen with your eyes. Imaginatively listen to the sounds in a poem, a novel, a picture.
Listen critically. Mentally challenge assertions, ideas, philosophies. Seek the truth with an open mind.
Listen with patience. Do not hurry the other person. Show him the courtesy of listening to what he has to say, no matter how much you may disagree. You may learn something.
Listen with your heart. Practice empathy when you listen; put yourself in the other person’s place and try to hear his problems in your heart.
Listen for growth. Be an inquisitive listener. Ask questions. Everyone has something to say which will help you to grow.
Listen to yourself. Listen to your deepest yearnings, your highest aspirations, your noblest impulses. Listen to the better man within you.
Written by (Wilfred Peterson) in 1960.
