Listen…Do You Smell Something?
We have two ears and one mouth, so we should listen more than we say.
— Zeno of Citium, ancient Greek philosopher
The world is full of voices. They come to us from our families, friends and co-workers. We are bombarded through social media, talk radio, and TV. The struggle is real in the Age of Distraction.
If we aren’t intentional about what we are listening to, we can end up with the intellectual equivalent of a junk food diet and a very real headache at the end of the day.
Many voices are just noise. Others have merit. Choosing which voice to listen to presents an endless challenge. The most difficult are those voices which provide intermittent value. The narcissist in the meeting that occasionally drops a nugget of insight. The one redeeming article (in ten) on your news feed. The wise parent on the soccer sidelines that always manages to brighten your day. These may be worth tuning in for but are harder to catch given all the background noise.
And what about listening to our loved ones? Deep down inside every man, woman, and child is the need to be recognized and acknowledged…to feel deeply seen and understood…to be listened to. In this way, listening is loving.
Sometimes the sound we need most is silence.
Shhhhhh… Quiet. No TV or radio. No Pandora or podcasts.
When was the last time you surrounded yourself with silence…and listened? What did you hear? Sometimes our own consciousness is fighting for airtime. Our creativity, insights, and understanding are actually stifled because we refuse to take the time to listen.
With the limits of our time and energy colliding with the demands for our attention and endorsement, choice again plays a central role in a life well-lived. Challenge yourself to pay attention to what you are listening to. You may just be surprised…by what you hear.
