if you're too busy, they will pass right by

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I've discovered something about myself that I don't really like. I am a horrible listener. if someone is talking and there's not a lot of interest in my part...I tune out. which seems pretty harmless but it's becoming more frequent and  there's usually a distracting factor involved. like the other day, my roommate came home with exciting news about an internship while I was in the middle of watching something. luckily I had the decency to turn it down and listen to her but I felt like I was missing out. there I was with a real, live person that I care about and it was difficult to focus on her exciting news. or the other time that my roommate wanted to talk about something and I was just "uh huh-ing" while I was texting. this habit has progressively gotten worse and I want to fix it.People are important but I haven't been treating them like they are.

yesterday we started our communication unit in my marriage and family class. and I think it's safe to say I've got some room for improvement. our teacher emphasized communication between husband and wife but I figured a little practice with roommates would be a good place to start. this realization and conscious decision has already given me a new perspective. this morning, I was running a little behind but someone needed me to listen. she asked me if I had time. the question of what's more important, listening to someone who needs it or getting to work with a couple extra minutes to clock in? ran through my head. it took me a split second to decide what was more important. because in the long run, I'm going to remember those moments more than the extra fifty cents. because she's done the same thing for me. because people are important.

Are we able to see the relationship as more important than the task at hand?

whether you're a great listener or not, married or single, I think this is something we should all think about.  it could be when there's a fight over something trivial or when we get caught up in something. life gets busy, everyone knows this. but don't forget to take a step back once in a while, work on what's truly important in life, and listen.

Happy weekend everyone :)