Listen…

Today’s Show Up! Journal power words: isn’t it funny how the great conversationalists seldom speak? I think Dale Carnegie had it right. People engage with us when we are curious about them. So, the best way to be regarded as a great conversationalist and/or communicator is to be curious about the other person, to engage the other person to speak. People love talking about themselves. But, they particularly love it when the person is genuinely interested. I think we illustrate our interest when we listen actively. This is a perfect opportunity to find the spark of curiosity about other people within ourselves. If we nourish it and nurture it, people will gravitate towards us and we will build authentic, long lasting connections.

A few years ago, at a big music festival, I decided to run an experiment. I decided to become curious about every person I met. I also decided to say little about myself at all. Instead of speaking about myself, I asked questions, lots of them. I encouraged every person I spoke with to talk about themselves. I was amazed at how many people at the end of our conversations, when we were moving on to go do the next workshop or event told me that I was someone who was incredibly easy to talk to and that they thought it was a great conversationalist.”Funny,” I thought to myself. “I haven’t really done any talking at all.”

🙂 Since then, I have nurtured that curiosity about other people. If you meet me in real life, I will want to know all about you. But until then, what do you like to do for fun?