Listening to my grandpa tell a funny story was a treat. He would often start giggling, turn red from laughter, and have tears streaming down his face. I LOVED listening to him.
But… how often do we find ourselves listening to others? REALLY listening?
When writing her book, You’re Not Listening, Kate Murphy interviewed dozens of people. She asked every single person, “Who listens to YOU?” She recounted that in almost every encounter, there was a pause. Then came the hesitation. It was a hard question to answer.
Who listens to you? Who do you give your undivided attention to?
If you were to ask someone what makes a good listener, it might take some time for the individual to articulate it. But, if you ask what makes a bad listener, people can quickly rattle off bad listening behaviors: interrupting, looking at your phone or watch, fidgeting, etc.
Interestingly, studies have revealed that when you listen and truly connect with what a person is saying, your brain waves sync up! The listener and the speaker have literal brain waves in sync.
Neuroscientist Uri Hasson studied fMRI scans, and his findings confirmed this syncing phenomenon. The more overlap between the listener and the speaker’s brain activity, the better the communication between them!
We often think of communication as spreading and sharing information. But, a HUGE piece of communication is listening. How much do you actively listen to others? When’s the last time you really connected with someone while listening?
I think former U.S. President Calvin Coolidge said it best: “No man ever listened himself out of a job.”
Is it demagogue or demagog?
While we do have Grammarly and spellcheck, I still like to know how to spell words. Sometimes, my attempts are so bad that my autocorrect on my phone doesn’t even know what I’m trying to say. These are two words that are hard for me.
Is it demagogue or demagog?
It is spelled demagogue! Quick refresher (if you need it) - a demagogue is a political leader who seeks support by appealing to the desires and prejudices of ordinary people rather than trying to appeal to them by using rational thought.
Is it naivity or naivety?
If you guessed “naivety,” you are correct! (Naivety is when you show a lack of worldly wisdom, or you are inexperienced/unsophisticated.)
Do you ever use these words?
A MUCH-NEEDED LAUGH!
INSPIRATION
In 1959, nine-year-old Ron McNair tried to check out books from his local library in South Carolina. The librarian refused to check out the books to him because of his race. The police were called, as well as Ron’s mom. The police convinced the librarian to allow Ron to check out the books.
"Well, this old librarian, she says, 'This library is not for coloreds,' Carl McNair, Ron’s brother, shared with NPR. "He said, 'Well, I would like to check out these books."
This incident did not curb Ron’s thirst for knowledge. He graduated as valedictorian of Carver High School in 1967 and later graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in engineering physics from North Carolina A&T State University. In 1976, Ron received a Ph.D. in physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Ron was later hired by NASA. In January 1978, he was selected as a member of NASA’s 8th astronaut class. He traveled to space on several missions, becoming the second black American in space. Tragically, his life was cut short in 1986. He was on the Space Shuttle Challenger that exploded following takeoff.
Fittingly, in 2011, the building that used to house the library in his hometown was named after him – the Ronald McNair Life History Center.
“The true courage of space flight is not sitting aboard 6 million pounds of fire and thunder as one rockets away from this planet. True courage comes in enduring... persevering, the preparation and believing in oneself.” ~ Ronald McNair
⭐⭐⭐
We toss around words like perseverance and grit, but when I read a story like Ron’s, I truly understand what those words mean.
I have the deepest admiration for his perseverance, intelligence, and courage. May we all find inspiration in his story.
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