Serendipity. What a nice and important word.
Why do I say it’s important? Because there are some coincidences in our life we do not pay attention to and that could be life-changing or turning points. Only later we discover how important they would have been (if we are lucky enough to remember them of course).
Well, I was thinking about the topic of my next post for my 30 day challenge (for info click here) and I was looking for something to read on my bookshelves. There are books that I have already read and that I like to read again after sometime: there are always things in a book that you forget after reading it or that you didn’t grasp the first time you read the book. And, “by chance”, one book fell of the shelf: it was “The Art of Creative Thinking” by Wilfred A. Peterson. A book that was written back in 1991 and yet so modern and far-fetching! It’s a collection of essays the author put together when he was 90 year old, a collection of wise and powerful tips and thoughts.
So, why did I mention serendipity? Because I was thinking to follow up on my blog post about personal branding writing something about the ability to listen to people when you are building a relationship with them. And there comes Wilfred A Peterson’s book. And guess what page was opened?
Yes, a page entitled “Creative Listening”.
These are the qualities of a creating listener according to this fabulous author, qualities that I fully share.
A good listener should:
Listen critically – This means that you have to mentally challenge ideas, assertions and, I would add, prejudices and always seek the truth and be open-minded:
Listen with patience – Avoid hurrying the other person. Show the other person the courtesy of listening to what they have to say, no matter how much you disagree or how long it takes to express their thoughts. There is always something to learn from what others say.
Listen with your heart – Put yourself in the other person’s shoes and practice empathy. According to the dictionary, empathy means “Identification with and understanding of another’s situation, feelings, and motives”. In other words, put yourself aside and focus to the person you are listening to.
Listen creatively – Try to listen to ideas or germs of ideas, clues or hints that may trigger creative processes.
Listen with depth – Let intuition guide your listening and by inspired by love.
Next time a potential customer or prospect, or a family member or friend speaks to you, pay attention to the way you are listening to his or her words and ask yourself what type of listener you are.
If you are interested in Wilfred A. Peterson’s Book, you can click on the image below:
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To your prosperity
I love this post. I also just wanted to share that I love Serendipity. So much so that my daughter, McKenna’s middle name is Seren (we left off the dipity part). Thank you so much for your insight!
Thank you Elise for your comment. I love Serendipity too and it’s so exciting how many signs the Universe puts there for us to just notice them!
So true, I became wiser the day I came across some article on ‘how being a good listener and being a keen observer can benefit us?’ My friends circle expanded and more than the numbers, I felt good that people thought of me as a nice person, someone with whom they can share and feel lighter.