Today’s Mandala Message: Be Interested in What Others Have to Say
This week I’m working through Principle #48 from Jack Canfield’s “The Success Principles” entitled “Be Hear Now”. I set my intention today to ponder being truly interested in what others have to say. Canfield states: “Another way people fail to listen carefully is to be too concerned with being interesting themselves, rather than being interested in the person they’re listening to. … If you want people to cooperate with you, to like you, or to open up to you, you must be interested…in them. Instead of focusing on yourself, start focusing on others.”
I do my best to listen to what people are saying, to ask questions, to care about what they are talking about. I could always do better. I have encountered people in my life, some currently, who do all the talking and seem to be more interested in the next thing they’re going to say rather than actively listening to what I have to say. It feels very lopsided, like what I have to say doesn’t matter. It makes me not want to be around them. It also inspires me to make sure I up my game on actively listening to others so that I never cause that lopsided feeling in someone else. Just as much as I want to be heard, so do others want to be heard.
A good mindfulness practice would be to practice being interested in what others say.
So how about you? When talking with others do you try to be interesting or interested? Do you ask questions of those you are listening to? Or do you think about what you’re going to say instead?
“Most of the successful people
— Bernard Baruch
I’ve known
are the ones
who do more listening
than talking.”
Blessings,
Maureen
The Mandala Lady
All Things Mandalas
An Invitation
I invite you to color along with me this year as part of what I’m calling “The Year of Self-Exploration and Expansion” with all of my “Mandalas of the ___” (day, week, month, year). If you’re interested in more of a self-exploration approach to coloring, check out my “Coloring Mandalas as Meditation”. You can download this mandala at MandalaoftheWeek.com.
Mandala of the Day 