They're already planning their response, already thinking about how what you said relates to them, already judging whether your feelings are valid based on their own experience. It's like we're all just waiting for our turn to talk. 💭

And I think that's one of the saddest things about how we live now. Because when nobody's really listening, then nobody's really being heard. And if you're not being heard, you start to feel invisible. You start to doubt whether your experience even matters. You start to hide more. 😞

I want to be someone who actually listens. Someone who hears what people are saying and takes it seriously. Someone who can be silent when someone else needs to speak. Someone who doesn't assume they already know the answer. That takes intention. It takes patience. It takes being willing to have your mind changed or your assumptions challenged. 🤍

But I think it's one of the most valuable things you can give another person—real, genuine attention. The feeling that what they're saying matters to someone. That they're not alone in whatever they're experiencing. 💕

Does anyone else feel like the world would be different if we all just listened to each other better? 🤔

I'm trying to practice it. Trying to be the kind of person who creates space for truth instead of just performing my own version of things all the time. It's harder than you'd think, but I think it matters.