Yesterday,
someone asked me what is the greatest skill for successful salesperson to
possess.
I
answered, "the ability to listen."
He
agreed with me. But the ability to listen isn't only important in selling. It is also important when
buying, managing, talking with our mate or friends. In fact, communication
is next to impossible if we do not listen. Listening is also
important when praying and meditating. The heart of a servant requires
listening. And if discovering our purpose is the process of discovering
how we can most impact the world through offering service (the act of servant-hood) then listening must truly be an asset to discovering our purpose as
well.
Many
psychiatrists explain the way to communicate better (and succeed in
relationships) is by listening better. By not thinking about what we're
going to say, by not speaking, just being involved in listening adroitly to
another person, we may experience a new way of knowing this person for who they
really are.
Many
motivational speakers and psychologists talk about going after "what you desire"
as discovering your purpose. In the Tao (from Tao Te Ching) there is a thought that
"when there is no desire there is peace." Knowing what we
desire is insufficient.
Perhaps,
a way to listen is to remove "desire" from our mind. Instead of
focusing on what we want, we may be alert... aware... paying attention to the
signals our body, mind, spirit and heart speak to us. When we walk in
nature and say nothing, nature talks to us. The wind blows quietly through
the limbs on the trees. Grasses rustle and leaves blow across the
ground. The clouds move about the sky and cast shadows working with the
sun shining behind them. In the same way, our body speaks to us when
we become quiet, meditative, and shut down our "conscience-level"
mind. In eliminating the chatter noise in our head and focusing on the
quiet, we can eventually reach a state of being where we are aware of our inner
needs.
This
takes time. It can be accomplished through meditation. It cannot be
accomplished by writing down lists of goals (our desires) nor can it be
accomplished by telling other people what we think (speaking is not listening).
It requires listening. Let's think of some questions that listening will
help us answer:
When
am I the most happy? When am I most relaxed? When am I most
excited? When do I feel most loved?
[Note:
the remainder of this article may be found in our award-winning Life
Purpose Series - see below for purchase information.]
We
review the more about our Spiritual Nature and The Purpose Question in our
new Life Purpose Program entitled, "The Keys To Discovering Your
Purpose," featuring our experiential e-workbook, audio CD companion,
and upcoming e-book and hardcopy book on Discovering Your Purpose. People
report that living a life on purpose brings higher fulfillment, raised
self-esteem, increased abundance, and more time to do what they love. Why
not be one of the twenty percent living on purpose?
"I
think that everyone should read and re-read your [workbook articles]
frequently. It is easy to start with much gusto but we
all need a reminder of our direction." - Mary R. (GA, USA)
To
learn more about the Purpose Question and gain additional exercises into
how to discover and live your life on purpose, we have additional
resources for you:
The
Keys To Discovering Your Purpose Audio (74 min. CD) $19.95 US
The
Keys To Discovering Your Purpose, Experiential e-Workbook $24.95 US
Life
Coaching by Scott Andrews, AspireNow Founder
