“Earn the right to be heard by listening to others; seek to understand a situation before making judgements about it.” John Maxwell

How are we doing with our frustration levels with other people right now? Are little things starting to fester and cause us to feel a wee bit annoyed or irritated? As the pandemic lingers on and we are in the middle of a cold winter, we may find ourselves a bit on edge. No judgement if you are, but let’s see if we can make it better.

We are built to instinctually see things from our perspective. It takes a little more effort to try and see things from someone else’s perspective. it’s an extra step. It takes longer. And even then, we aren’t always going to understand or agree. But here’s the reason why we should “seek to understand”: by not doing so, the aggravation and frustration falls back on us!

So, “seeking to understand” will take longer and it requires a lot more patience and sincerity, but in the end, we’re doing it as much for us as we are for them. The outcome of “listening,” and “seeking to understand,” is that both parties enjoy the benefits of a healthy relationship. No one will ever say, “I was SO annoyed the other day—my co-worker actually listened to what I had to say AND tried to understand.”

Let’s GO! WE GOT THIS!

Beth