Listening With Clarity, Speaking With Purpose

What’s that old saying, “If you are a hammer, then everything you see is a nail.” You see, think, hear, and speak what you are more than what you want to be.

As I age, I know beyond the shadow of a doubt,
I must pause to preview everything
before taking meaning from anything.

We receive and give from our base, and seldom can we extend ourselves to a better place and give with more meaning and purpose than our everyday life.

Most of us listen and then ignore the subtle nuances of words. Why? We are more focused on our response or rebuttal than on trying to get the whole meaning. We speak off the cuff without attempting to formulate words so that a specific hearer will comprehend.

When we do this individually, we may take more allowances for not being perfect. Still, when speaking to a crowd, unless the Holy Spirit is helping us, we can never communicate effectively to every ear.

We all hear what we want to hear.

To comprehend the spoken word, our tones, inflection, volume, force, and many other factors go into play. Yes, we process it all with a mind that comes from a specific place in life that may be focused on a certain idea of meaning that was not intended.

We even find Jesus asking questions to refresh his follower’s minds. “Do you not yet understand???” (Matthew 15:17). “How is it you do not understand?” (Matthew 16:11)

Muddled Minds Produce Muddled Understanding and Speaking

Every politician, leader, pastor, and teacher understands this. We do not all come from the same place to this precise moment of listening. Perhaps we need “cheerleader” sessions to draw everyone to the same place so all can understand, but that will not work.

An old saying I’ve used endlessly describes our personal levels so much.

“Teach me, I’ll forget…
Show me, I’ll remember…
Involve me, I’ll understand.”
~Benjamin Franklin

You and I come to each moment with differing styles. We change depending on the speaker, time of the day, energy level, or even if we are facing distractions that pull us this way and that. Not everyone wants to get involved. Nor do all of us enjoy watching others or listening all the time.

We Are Different All The Time!

IIITBIIUTM

I’ve written about this often: If It Is To Be It Is Up To Me

It’s my job to speak with clarity so more can understand more clearly. I’ve learned that I will lose some because I’m not firing the only cylinders they have operational. Can I shrug my shoulders, hold my hands and say, “Oh, well!” I must, and I do. Why? Though Jesus taught about leaving the 99 sheep behind and going after the missing one, I struggle with determining who is receiving and who is simply lost in the moment.

In grade school, the teacher would say, “Let’s put on our thinking caps.”
She would make the signs that indicated a boxed cap, seating it on her head,
put her finger to her face, tilting her head, and say, “Let’s think this out together!”

Maybe. Maybe we need to change how we speak so the entire audience can comprehend. Yes. That’ll work. Until it doesn’t. How many thinking caps do we have to put on to get everyone on the same page together? There may not be enough caps in the world for this routine!

Whether listening or speaking,
we must take ownership of our part in the process.
Realize not everyone will get to the same conclusion as you.
That’s just the way it is.

Illustration: 9th Grade Biology class and the charts being used split the human body in half from top to bottom and then display them from the side perspective. A “jock” asks, “Duh, coach, which is which?” The class laughs, and he’s dumbfounded that everyone is laughing. Finally, he takes a deep breath, looks intently at the charts, and says, “Oh. I get it.”

Even when it’s obvious, not everyone gets it! I’m just saying before you speak, think. Before you think, listen.