Silent is an anagram of listen

With unlimited information sources, it’s easy to fill your brain and drown out thoughts of your own with the thoughts of others. It’s not a bad thing, they can help you think better.

But best not to let them crossover at the same time.

When you’re listening to yourself, silence the thoughts of others.

When you’re listening to other, silence the thoughts of yourself.

Of course, you can’t do it on purpose. As soon you try to silence the thoughts of others, that’s all you can think of.

And have you ever overheard a conversation between two people? How often does it seem like each person can’t wait until the other stops talking so they can return to talking about themselves. I do it. Then I remember. Some of the best conversations I’ve had have been where I’ve said nothing at all. Instead, I’ve let the other person talk. And they’ve gone to where they needed to go.

How do you get better?

For listening to yourself, get quiet. Go for long walks, write letters to yourself. Use pen and paper if a screen is too tempting.

For listening to others, try having a conversation without using the word ‘I’. Or by letting the other person talk more than you.