To Be Heard and Understood

"The more attention we devote toward learning how the people in our lives think and feel,

the better equipped we are to relate to them on their own terms."

Daily Om

Communication is a major component in relationship.  Disagreements and misunderstandings abundantly flow when we are not on the same page.  When we assume the opinion of the other, we may find ourselves responding totally off topic.  

"Help me to understand," is a magic phrase when offered as a first response.  Instead of building our defenses or automatically spewing words out of fear,  we can extend an invitation for the seemingly opponent to further express his or her thinking.  As we receive the broadened perspective, we can usually detect the authentic origin of the viewpoint.  

Whether it is with our children, neighbor or boss, open minds facilitate understanding.  We may not entirely agree, but processing full knowledge will assist in finding a solution to compromise.  We might agree to disagree, but at least we have displayed respect for the opposition and respect for ourselves.  After all, in relationship, each of us yearns to simply be heard and understood.