Two ears and one mouth

Is it a coincidence that we were given two ears and one mouth? Or does this mean we should listen twice as much as we talk?

It's been said that 'some listen, some wait to speak'. Are we too eager to have our say, and quick to dismiss what our partner is trying to explain to us? Are we listeners, or those who merely wait to speak? How good is our hearing?

We need to teach our two ears a lesson - they must learn to hear, really hear, what is being said. And we need to teach our mouth a lesson too - to keep shut until the other has said it all.

How can we do this? There's no short-cut. We just have to practice till we get there. Every friendship is two-way. Would you go on seeing a friend if every time you met, the friend talked non stop, appeared totally uninterested in you and your life, and then jumped into their car and zoomed off? Yet that's how we can treat each other in our relationship sometimes.

(Excerpted by permission from from 'Hang on I need to say SOMETHING' by Gillian Warren, copyright & published by Gazelle Books, ISBN 1 899746 09 9, retail price £5.99)

Tip by Gillian Warren