by W. Diane Van Zwol

Created on: March 21, 2009   Last Updated: March 24, 2009

The Art Of Listening Is A Gift

You are listening, but are you really listening? Is it active listening or passive listening? Do you know the difference?

In other words, do you hear what is going on around you or what others are saying to you? Do you hear their cries for help? Do you just listen, or do you respond to what you hear?

Is the sound muffled in the wind? Or, has it been smothered by the busyness of your day? Maybe your business is taking precedence to your listening?

The art of listening is something that most baby boomers have learned over the years, but perhaps there are some, who have forgotten what it really means to really listen to others. Paying attention to those who speak to us, or cry out to us is vital, particularly in this time of global economic decline.

We have not become stone gods who do not hear others, or an all-knowing God, who chooses to not listen to His children.

Listening to others, on the divine level and listening on a human level, can be totally different. On the level of the divine, it would be perfect listening, the ideal kind of listening. On a human level, it would be less than divine and of course, less than perfect.

Here are some secrets with regard to the art of listening. Pay attention to whoever is speaking to you, whether it is God or man. Listen very closely to all of those around you. Make a point of recalling, or repeating to yourself or others, what you have just heard. It will help you to improve your listening skills, as well as your short term memory.

You may find that you have excellent hearing, but less than perfect listening skills. Or you may have excellent listening skills, but you have become hard of hearing. Is it hard of hearing, or do you a have hardening of your heart?

Perhaps you have hardening of the arteries. That would not be an uncommon problem for a baby boomer. Yes, it could affect your hearing but it should not interfere with your listening skills.

Immediately forgetting what you hear could be symptomatic of short term memory loss. While this could be the result of a physical illness, it may be something that can be resolved by medical treatment. It could be related to poor circulation, medication or a lack of vitamins. Smoking or using drugs like marijuana, can bring on short term memory loss. It can also be related to stress, fatigue or depression. In a more serious scenario, it may indicate pending Alzheimer's disease or dementia, if it appears to be in conjunction with the loss of touch with reality.

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