I Thought I Was a Terrible Listener (I’m Not!!)

I was having a conversation with a guy I had just met at a party. His name was Dan. I could tell he was a chatty one.

At the end of a long rant (explaining why he switched to a raw food diet 15 years ago), he said, “Thanks for listening. You’re present and I feel you’re interested in what I’m saying. I feel heard. Thank you.”

I found this to be a huge compliment because usually I consider myself a HORRIBLE listener. I have to put in a lot of effort to focus and sometimes I feel like it’s an IMPOSSIBLE habit to change.

It’s not.

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Photo by Taylor Kinzie.

Everyone wants to feel loved and heard, and I appreciate it when someone gives me their presence, like I’m the only one in their world in that moment. It’s such a gift, and I love knowing that I could give that to someone else too.

I thanked Dan for acknowledging me, and then smiled as I watched him eat the other half of his giant avocado. . . with no salt on it.

1 thought on “I Thought I Was a Terrible Listener (I’m Not!!)”

  1. Brilliant ! I had a good giggle at this post. Although I am a very chatty person, I always seem to be the listener somewhere – whether in a lift with a total stranger or in a supermarket. I will be minding my own business and doing some kind of maths problem in my head when I hear a voice next to me say ‘ You wont believe what I saw today …’ and of course, I turn and say ‘what did you see today ?’ I think I must have been either a therapist or bartender in another life. There is so much hustle and bustle in our everyday lives, that people just want to speak to someone. Being a Photographer is another listener job as people tend to chat away to me too during their shoots 🙂 As long as they are relaxed then I am happy so they are welcome to chat and chat !

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