If we’re being honest, many of us probably have a mental checklist of all our accomplishments memorized and ready to spout off to any new person we meet. We know what awards we won, or didn’t win in high school. We know what jobs we’ve had, and people we’ve met. We know these things because it’s what’s important to us. We all like to be recognized and even the most humble of us, has an ego.

Listening, however, is the opposite of ego. Listening takes time, energy, and patience. Listening takes sacrifice. In order to listen, we have to give up the things we want to share about ourselves so that we can hear what others are interested in.

Listening may then seem like only a one way street, but it’s not. Listening is a two way street because it breeds interest. I would bet that most people would be more likely to be interested in listening to us, if we first listened to them.

Spouting off facts and numbers is easy and quick. You may impress some people, and you may find some listeners, but I would bet that you’ll find more people who have a deeper connection with the message you’re trying to share, if you’re willing to first listen to them.