Brenda Ueland on Staying Energized

"Listening is a magnetic and strange thing, a creative force. When we really listen to people there is an alternating current, and this recharges us so that we never get tired of each other. We are constantly being re-created."  - Brenda Ueland

If Ueland is right (I believe she is), consider the possibility that the practice of "really listening" can animate and renew not only your relationship to other people, but also your relationship to:

• your intuition
• your passions
• your craft

How do you know when you're "really listening"?  I'd like to hear your thoughts.

Comments

[Louise Knowles]

I know I am really listening when I participate in a conversation, and I talk in snippets, not goblets, waiting to hear a response (especially my favourite response: the silence of concentrated listening).

[Marla]

Hi Kim,

I'm not surprised you and Brenda Ueland are well-acquainted! She's long been a favorite of mine.

write well,
Coach Marla

[Marla]

Anneliese,

I can really relate to your comment. Real listening is about slowing down to the present moment...a form of mindfulness practice, I think.

look forward to seeing you around here on The Relaxed Writer!

-Coach Marla

[anneliese]

I know I'm listening when I'm not thinking about something else while someone is talking, and I'm not framing my next question or response to what someone is saying.

[kim]

Thanks for posting wisdom from Brenda Ueland! She's awesome. I commit to deeper listening today...