Tuesday, May 25, 2010



"The act of being generous with our listening is a gift that our world is longing to receive. Can you imagine the reasons this is true? For one thing, in our isolated world, people long to be heard. From the moment we enter school we are encouraged to participate-to talk, to share opinions, to give answers. But with everyone caught up in expressing his or her own thoughts and feelings, there are far too few listeners to hear. The bottom line is that when we take the time to really listen, others feel valued. What a wonderful gift to be able to give. And best of all, it is free."
~this is a paragraph from a book I read and found to be near the top of my favorite list. It is titled, "One Simple Act"
Discovering the power of generosity.
written by Debbie Macomber, a #1 New York Times Bestselling Author
I have been thinking about the subject of "listening" lately. When I read her chapter on "Static, Stories, and Chow-Chow...The Art of Listening", I realized that I found someone who was expressing some of the same thoughts that I was thinking.
I have learned many things from my husband over the years. One of the best things he has taught me by example, is how to be a good listener. He has the ability to look at me, to tune into what I am saying, to ask questions, to listen intentionally. What a gift! It seems to me, that in today's fast paced world, what we hear when we meet with people, and what they are really saying are two different things. A quote in Debbie Macomber's book is a discovery that she made; "Becoming generous in listening can transform our relationships."
Listening friends are real gifts in my world.
If you happen to need a good book to read this summer, here is one you might enjoy.

16 comments:

Jeane` said...

You are a good listener too! Beautiful post *and cute picture!*
love ya!
J.

Barb said...

Hi Judy, great post. Listening is an art. The picture is totally precious!

Barb ♥

Unknown said...

I love to read. Thank you for the recommendation!

Love Being A Nonny said...

I am not a good listener. I am aware of it, and I WANT to be. This is very timely for me. Thank you Judy!

Judy said...

Good words to ponder, Judy. How good am I at listening?

Thanks for pointing us to a good read!

Shelley said...

Very true words Judy!! I had a mentor at a brokerage firm I worked at 3 years ago - and he always emphasized the power of listening. I am definitely going to pick up this book!

lindsey said...

Thank you for reminding me of this very important gift. Such a lovely photo too as a visual reminder of how important it is for us to give our time to others. Your posts speak so much to me Judy. Thank you

debi said...

Judy,
Thank you for posting this....I really needed to hear this today. A conversation last evening did not go well with my husband. We are not good listeners!
Because of you post I will purpose to be a better listener.
What a blessing you are to me!
debi

Miss Debbie said...

How true! The gift of being a good listener is definitely one from God. I have a couple of friends that I love dearly, but I can always tell when I have lost their ear... they get that distant look in their eye and start looking somewhere else instead of at me. Experiencing that has motivated me to be a better listener.Thanks for the reminder and for the recommending the book. Sounds like a must read!!

corners of my life said...

I also enjoy her books. One of my favorites Thursdays at Eight
I posted about it on Sunday, April 26, 2009.

Happy@Home said...

Your husband possesses a rare and wonderful gift. Something tells me that you are also a good listener :).
This book sounds very interesting to me. Thanks for recommending it.

Miss Debbie said...

Hi again, Judy! Just wanted you to know that I just ordered the book from amazon. I got a gift certificate for Christmas, so I used the remainder to purchase it. I know you are generous and I want to be, so I can't wait to start reading it!

Tracy said...

What a wonderful post! Definitely sounds like a book I would love. Taking the time to really listen to others is truly a very precious gift.

a woman who is said...

That sounds like a wonderful book recommendation.

Speaking of book recommendations, E.G. also wrote a wonderful children's book "The Little White Horse" which is usually easy to come by.

Pat @ Mille Fiori Favoriti said...

This is so tru...we all need soemone to really listen to us and care what we say! Lovely post Kudy and wonderful photo to accompany it!

Anonymous said...

I really liked this post. Thank you.

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