December 2007

Wishing You a Happy and Peaceful Christmas

With love and best wishes

Jane

Corporate Peacemakers

Making Molehills Out Of Mountains

GIFT OF LISTENING

When you are sitting around your Christmas dinner with friends and family, why not ask some thoughtful questions?

  1. What's the best thing that's happened to you since last Christmas?
  2. What was your best Christmas ever? Why?
  3. What's the most meaningful Christmas gift you've ever received?
  4. What was the most appreciated Christmas gift you've ever given?

When we are surrounded by family and friends one of the most valuable gifts we can give them is the gift of listening. To be truly listened to is to receive a precious gift from someone who is saying in effect “I am putting you first”

“When we are listened to, it creates us, makes us unfold and expand. Ideas actually begin to grow within us and come to life. You know how if a person laughs at your jokes you become funnier and funnier, and if he does not, every tiny little joke in you weakens up and dies. Well, that is the principle of it. It makes people happy and free when they are listened to. And if you are a listener, it is the secret of having a good time in society (because everybody around you becomes lively and interesting), of comforting people, of doing them good," (From a collection of her essays, "Strength To Your Sword Arm: Selected Writings by Brenda Ueland." Copyright 1992 by The Estate of Brenda Ueland.)

We cannot find personal intimacy without listening. When we are listening, we are offering the other person the gift of understanding and acceptance (not agreement). The gift of taking that person seriously.

  • To be listened to is to be valued.
  • To be listened to is to be acknowledged.
  • To be listened to is to be recognised as an individual.

To feel that you are not being listened to and understood can cause deep humiliation and loss of dignity. Humiliation is one of the principal root causes of violence and terrorism leading to an intense desire to restore honour and respect.

At the end of the day, making others feel special is one of the keys to building relationships. In life and in business, building relationships results in loyalty, and in business, loyalty results in increased sales, reduced marketing and sales costs, and building a great brand for your business and for you.

Give someone the gift of listening this Christmas!

The wise old owl lived in an oak; The more he saw the less he spoke; The less he spoke the more he heard: Why can't we all be like that bird? Edward H. Richards What do you call an owl with a sore throat? A bird that doesn’t give a hoot!

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