Stop, drop and roll....Stop, look, and listen...yes, that last one seems more appropriate! Anyway, the point is, I am learning to stop. And listen. I am trying to consciously NOT multitask - a talent I have heretofore honed and have prided myself on mastering. But there is a lot lost in the efficiency that comes from multitasking - you cannot, by definition, focus and be mindful when you are juggling multiple things. And the older I get, the more I realize I cannot read and listen at the same time, or watch TV and listen at the same time. I end up missing critical sections of one or the other. So I have resolved to stop watching or reading or doing and really listen when my children talk to me - they are nearly grown now, and both being musicians, they often speak to each other and to me in "music-eze" or about musical nuances or to share funny things they find on the internet. I love that they think to involve me in their lives and interests and I am honored, so I listen so I won't miss any of this thing called relationship - it is so rewarding! And I resolve to stop and really listen when I answer a phone call, no more reading email, or entering data into my banking software while someone on the other end of the phone is needing my undivided attention. I will make an exception for those annoying calls where you end up on hold listening to impossibly painful "music" to let you know they haven't accidentally disconnected the call - those are the whole reason the speakerphone feature was invented and they absolutely call for multitasking...but other than that, I am on my journey as a recovering multi-tasker. One day at a time.
Does mutitasking affect your ability to listen, or is it just me?
Blessings,
Janet
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