Wow! I love to talk! It feels so good when you are sharing your feelings with the world. An added bonus is when people actually benefit from my talking. I feel like one of those people in the magazines who offers solutions to personal problems. In that moment, I am a problem solver and even a leader.

But let's be selfish here for a minute. If talking is beneficial to others, then what about my benefits? How will I learn if I only talk?

My journalism professor is very strict. Voluminous chatter is not something he tolerates and, unfortunately, voluminous chatter is what I'm all about. Persevering through the initial inevitable friction, I have learned a great deal from him. His advice has been simple but powerful: Shut-up and listen. He even insists that members of his class refrain from writing while he is explaining a lesson; for undivided attention is imperative to total listening and understanding. Yes, folks. Listening is an active pursuit. You may hear things indiscriminantly, but listening involves and demands focus.

It is an experience beyond words to convey how beautiful and mind-blowing it is to listen to the interesting and enlightening ideas of experts. If you're in doubt about the benefits bestowed on a good listener, allow me to share some with you.

HERE ARE THE GREAT ADVANTAGES OF TOTAL LISTENING:

You develop patience. It is a virtue, after all.

You learn about other people, ideas and opinions.

When we listen more, we have the potential to understand more. This makes us wiser.

And most importantly, listening lends importance and appreciation to others.
Thus I have realised that replacing my propensity for BLAH BLAH BLAH with a silent and focussed mind makes people more interested in what I have to say. Ironic, isn't it? I still love to talk, but what I'm really interested in is effective communication. And a good communicator is an excellent listener. So let us emulate “ SUNN ZARA, DHYAAN SE SUNN ZARA” as professed by ZAARA The SAUDAGAR

by - Zara saudagar