Silence

Are you a person who peaks before you think of the consequences? OOOPS, I sometimes am. Going along with this is listening. Can you truely say you listen when someone is speaking to you?  Bother!!
Today, I feel we are really challenge by this idea.mWe seem to have to deal with talk, talk, talk all day..the lonely customer, a nosy mother-in-law, co-worker or you child, grandchild.  Mom, mom, Gram, Gram...UGH..close my ears..
It has been said that a good leader, is someone who can listen before giving advice.
How about friendship..do you rush right in to give advice? Try to listen and think before you spout your advice, that might not be wanted in the first place.
Give respect to a person who is speaking--you would want that in return right? We all deserve to be heard.
The philosopher Epictetus says that we where given one tongue and two ears so we can listen twice as often (or something like that).
So as I say to my grandson, Put on your listening ears now.