A powerful way to improve and preserve our relationships (of any kind) is to make people feel heard.
And how do we do that?
We start by putting our phones down, of course. From there, we follow all the steps weâve gathered from TED talks and âeffective communicationâ books:
Establish eye contact, mirror their body language, nod in agreement (or to demonstrate listening), ask open questions, repeat what you heard, etc.
It's all great stuff. But the most effective approach is beautifully summed up in the words of the poet HafezâŠ
âHow Do I Listen to others? As if everyone were my Master Speaking to me His Cherished Last  Words.â
As if it were the last conversation weâll ever have, each syllable packed with significance.
Thatâs not a tactic; itâs a posture. Itâs a presence of being that honors the sacred nature of every interaction, a holy communion.
Is that too much? I guess it depends on how you value the relationship.
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