Love Listens

Loving communication is an essential part of any healthy relationship.

This includes your relationship with yourself. In fact, being able to have a successful relationship with others requires that you must first understand and honor yourself.

Love Listens Before You Speak

Communication happens when a message is exchanged from sender to receiver. Then the receiver sends feedback, hopefully confirming that the message was understood.

They also have the opportunity to offer a a response with feedback and new information.

Before you attempt to deliver a message, it’s best that you know clearly what it is that you want to communicate.

When you become aware of thoughts and feelings that you want to share, call on Love to help you listen to your heart and clarify your message.

Have an internal dialogue with Love first to figure out exactly what it is that you’re thinking and feeling that needs to be shared.

Be clear and express what you want to communicate as Lovingly as possible. Take time to choose your words with thought and care.

Break the message into different parts if necessary. More complex ideas benefit from being delivered with some sort of framework. Use a numbered list as a basic way of dividing your points into manageable pieces.

You can craft your message with words, body language and/or other tools of communication (writing, music, dance, art, video, etc.)

Remember, it’s not just what you say, it’s how you say it that will have an impact on your communication partner or audience.

Love Listens to Understand

When you’re the receiver, you want to listen with your full attention. Listen with Love to understand exactly what message the sender is sharing.

Instead of rushing to create a response, simply listen attentively. Then use reflective listening to let the person know what you understood.

“So what I hear you saying is . . . ” or
“It seems like you feel . . .”

Ask clarifying questions to make sure that you really know what the speaker is communicating.

Only when you’re clear on the message being sent can you really process it and respond appropriately.

Be compassionate and know that the person delivering this message is doing the best he/she can to communicate what’s going on from his/her perspective.

By listening with Love, you may be able to help clarify what thoughts and feelings are really being expressed.

From here, you can help continue the conversation and find ways to move forward to benefit everyone involved.

Love listens for what is important. Love listens for a way to make things better.

When you listen with Love, you speak with Love.

Please share this message of Love right now!