Listening is an act of love.

     – Dave Isay

Autumn is always a busy season, full of outward-facing activity.  Business conferences, publications, media reports….

just. so. much. talking.

My own schedule turns towards talking in the fall too – it’s the time for speaking engagements and research reports and all sorts of connecting, for delivering on all those deliverables.  There’s great joy in this, to be sure – who doesn’t want to share what we’re thinking and doing with others?

But more and more, I’m conscious of a craving for listening – not just hearing, but really deeply listening. And it’s hard to do – not jumping in to interrupt with more thoughts, more questions, more words.

On this topic, a terrific recent resource is the work of Dave Isay, founder of StoryCorps.  You can listen to Isay’s TED Prize talk, read the book, and watch the series from StoryCorps for more on this theme. Or you can just take a few minutes, look into the eyes of nearby person – a loved one, a stranger, or even the mirror.

Stop talking.

Listen.