Listening and Keeping Secrets...

Listening and keeping secrets- two things that are definitely on my list of things that I need to improve upon. I have a bad habit of interrupting people in mid-sentence and not really listening to what they are saying. I think it's because I know what they are going to say and so I want to be more efficient with the conversation and so I want to finish or put my words in so that it flows better. That doesn't really make sense- but I'm working really hard to make these two things better in my life. 

I think most people when they meet me think that I'm loud and that I'm pretty outgoing- pretty much Type A- whoa, who is this girl? type of personality. But, in recent years, I've become almost more shy and more withdrawn. I think it's because of things that have happened to me recently in relationships and friendships that have died suddenly for no 'real' cause other than shift of priorities. Don't get me wrong, I'm still pretty outgoing- but I think its a tamed down version of what I was in college or a few years back. 

 

I think listening is a good trait to have. Instead of focusing on oneself, focusing on another person and figuring out who they are and what makes them tick, is always interesting(at least to me). I used to think why are people shy? Now, I kinda get it. They absorb first, then they speak(if they need to). They listen, not hear. Outgoing people(like me)- just blurt out what comes to them, sometimes listen/mostly hear, and then if something is said wrong- then they apologize for it/not really thinking of the repricutions(at least thats me). 

 

Keeping secrets is also a hard one for me. Like any girl, gossip is fun to a point until you get in the middle of it. I used to be horrible at it and now I'm trying to start to take baby steps towards keeping things within and not telling the whole world. I'm still really horrible at it(at least with my own life)- but with others, their secret is sacred and should not be told to others. 

 

On my 30th birthday(one of the best and most memorable bdays I've ever had)...even though I was slightly buzzing from wine, my sister made a speech about me and the one thing I remember from that speech was that she claimed that I was a good listener. Trust me, that floored me and to this day, I think whoa, at least one person in my life thinks I'm a good listener. At least I'm improving, right? I have such a long way to go on both things...but I feel everyday, I'm getting better. 

 

Hope everyone had a good Thursday :)