“Of course I listen”, you might think immediately. But this is not always the case. For example: a young human brain can decipher up to 450 words per minute. A normal speaking human can speak 150 words a minute. That leaves a lot of words for other thoughts. So then I ask you, when was the last time you really listened to someone? For example, let’s say you are meeting someone. You get together, go to your favourite sandwich store and stroll down town looking for a bench to consume your lunch. On finding one, you sit down and admire the view and scenery around you. And then you…talk. Talk for hours. About the weather. About your school. About the coolest thing you have ever done. And you listen to the other while they tell you, with absolute ecstasy, how their life unfolded in front of them.
If this sounds familiar to you, you can almost stop reading. Because this should be something you have experienced at least once in your life. Now here is a sight you might recognise easier: On waiting for the bus to come you stumble across a long lost friend. “How are you?” you ask him, waiting for the usual answer in the lines of: “Good, and you?” “Oh, I’m wonderful” you reply and you spur into a monologue that probably contains very interesting subjects like school, work and your fascinating private life.
After fifteen minutes of talking to air, your friend turns to his watch and says: “Oh dear boy, I have to run. Well it was great to talk to you again, take care!”
Now I actually come to the conclusion and explain why there is a sleeping cat on top of this post. The reason is that most of us are like cats. We sleep most of the day, eat whenever we want, cry for attention and try to impress people that are close to us, even though it usually does not work.
So what I want to give you today is, get out there and communicate! Listen to people and show genuine interest. You will be rewarded, I am sure of that.
