The hidden wealth of listening

Listening, with interest and care is an art that the world needs in a great measure today. Man has been listening for ages and this is an activity that has shaped his existence. In this article, I bring before the reader the various forms of listening and the impact it creates on the lives.

Listening and life

Did we imagine that we listened to, even before we were born. A child first listens to the heartbeats of a mother and finds harmony and music in it. It builds confidence, mutual understanding, signifies care and trust, and is in fact the core of existence at that time. When a child is born the first act of an adult, is to listen to its cry. There was an echo in the shell and that is also one of the first things that a man has heard.

It is only when we grow older that we start to diminish the importance of listening. Why do we do that? We attach much more importance to speaking and expressing ourselves than listening.

Listening is everywhere. When the civilization began the raindrops were the first that we listened. Then there was the noise of the clouds, the chirping of the birds, the gentle flow of the rivers, the voices coming from the jungles. As we progressed we developed the languages and started to speak them.

Languages

There was a familiar feeling in the languages and it is still there. When we speak a particular language something in us attracts us to the speaker.

People speak – the spoken word as well as the unspoken word must be listened to. How do we listen to the unspoken word? We have to analyze the message and the person giving that message. If we do it than the order of the world would change in a big way.

The society also speaks and the leader of men, listen it, understand this and create movements and campaigns.

Children speak and the parents know what to do and this is what has been at the heart of the civilization. Thus listening with a throbbing heart has carried the world forward.

The role of nature

The nature speaks and we need to understand the signs of what exactly is demanded by it. There is great music and harmony when nature speaks. We just have to allot some time and then we will realize that its language is the most soothing. We discover that we are one with nature when we listen to the rumors of forests, the music of the waves, and the words that other people do not hear. There is magic and harmony.

Conscience, soul and love

Our conscience also speaks, and we need to listen to it, to be ethically and morally correct. That is the mechanism fitted by the Almighty so that we do not go astray and forget the divine path.

Our soul speaks to us. When we are alone and have ample time, let us listen to what it says. We will get a true friend for ourselves and lead a meaningful life.

Love speaks too and lovers have a knack of listening to all that the beloved says. This is the soul of all drama and poetry. The pangs and the urges of life are all revealed to a listening heart and love becomes stronger.

Listening and God

God speaks to us and do we care to listen? We must listen to Him indeed and then there will be a great transformation in life. There are many symbols with listening as the medium related to God. There are hymns, bhajans, azaan, shankh, choirs and so much more associated with listening and imbibing the message of God in us.

Other forms of listening

Words speak and the readers listen. My words are speaking to you and you are listening to it and getting a message of my experience and thought.

A boss speaks and we listen and follow. A father peaks and we incorporate his teachings to make our life better.

The government speaks and we listen with all attention. This will have a bearing on our present and future.

Thus there are many areas where we listen. It is in fact the mainstay of communication. An empathetic ear and an understanding heart are all that is required and there is tremendous comfort in it.

Listen with curiosity and it will give grace to the personality. Words heard with a listening ear, can turn the life around.

It is a habit

Listening is one of the finest habits. Deal with all by being a good listener.  Do not jump in on sentences, nor finish them, or end abruptly. These are the nuances to take care of. Allow the speaker to keep going. We have to listen to wipe away the tears, remove the suffering, and be authentically interested. We need to do more listening without bias than talking. It is an art that is filled with empathy and understanding.

There is an irrepressible charm in the silence of a person, and it is a joy to listen to it. Let us not be short on ears and long on mouth.

The art of conversation thrives when we listen. It opens the heart and creates a feeling of solace and comfort. I can say that all appreciative listeners are comforting and stimulating. Let us be that!