Be Supportive. Listen well

If we were supposed to talk more than we listen, we would have two tongues and one ear
— Mark Twain
The most basic and powerful way to connect to another person is to listen. Just listen. Perhaps the most important thing we ever give each other is our attention.
— Rachel Naomi Remen

On the occasion of World Youth Skills Day (July, 15):

Enhance and use your listening skills to extend support to another person.

Effective listening is a skill that underpins all positive human relationships, spend some time thinking about and developing your listening skills – they are the building blocks of success.

An empathic ear is something that everyone wishes for, but few are able to lend.

Start a conversation with a family member or close friend about a personal issue that is important to them and they are comfortable discussing with you. Listen to them closely keeping the following things in mind:

  1. Pay attention, show that you are listening (through your body language and gestures)

  2. Don’t judge

  3. Try to empathize i.e. try to understand the other person’s point of view.

  4. Don’t provide suggestions/solutions unless they ask you to.

You can refer to the following link for more information and tips on how to become an effective listener:

http://www.skillsyouneed.com/ips/active-listening.html