LOVE, Kloudiia

My first gift for you is – The Gift of Listening.

At Prudential Insurance, they take pride in ”listening” – that’s what makes them stand out and different from the other insurance companies. So does this mean that the agents from AIA, Great Eastern or other insurance companies don’t listen. We know they do, they just didn’t use this as their main advertising angle.

Is this strategy working? I must say yes, because they knew that we loved to be listened to. If someone cared enough to listen carefully, with his heart and soul to our needs, then this person cares enough to protect our interests. That’s what most people believe.

I very casually mentioned I don’t prefer food that is too sweet once, just once. My boyfriend remembered and every time he goes all the way to tell the waiter to put less sugar when ordering, it warms my heart. This taught me the valuable lesson about what listening can bring you.

On another occassion, I didn’t pay much attention when my sister was telling me about something she discovered. As a result I lost out on a chance where I could really “hit the jackpot”. Ouch! That really hurts. That taught me another lesson about what listening can cost you if you don’t listen.

In dating, have you listened well enough to what your date or the object of your affection tells you or says? If you haven’t, perhaps that explain why you are still looking around.

Besides listening to what others have to say, have you ever listened to what they didn’t say? Besides hearing just their words, have you listened beyond the surface of the meaning the words carry literally? You know this isn’t easy, because this requires you to use the unorthodox way to listen – listening with and through your heart, not your ears. How many of us have done that?

Our ears are meant to listen to not just words. They can pick out music and melodies very well too. Music can achieve so much more than just purely entertaining through those tunes. It can be awe-inspiring. Music heals too. Music can soothe your soul and calm your nerves. It can bring you into a state of bliss. Music gives you the feeling of falling in love.

How intently do we listen to music then? Do we just nod our head shake our butt to the rhythm? Or do we really sit down and listen attentively to all the variations in a song, the meaningful lyrics, the soulful voice of the singer, the composition and every little detail that goes into the production of that song or piece of music?

Of course, we need a discerning mind to seperate those excellent pieces to the mediocre ones. But if we don’t listen, how else can we differentiate the lemons and the cherries? When you don’t, you are indeed missing out on one of the most beautiful gift that God has given us – the ability to listen and from listening to develop and nurture relationships as well as cultivate our inner beings.

Here I would like to give special mention to these singers who have that miraculous calming and healing effect on me simply by their voice and they way they deliver a song. In the Mandarin songs arena, there is this local singer Joi Cai Chun Jia. Her silky and gentle voice has the amazing prowess to touch one’s heart.

Next on my list is my favourite singer Josh Groban! Oh, never have I heard such a powerful, soulful and sentimental vocal until I saw his guest appearance on the sitcom Ally McBeal a few years ago. I was mesmerised since. You just cannot help but be captivated when you hear him sing. This man sure can hold you spellbound. He made my jaw dropped!

Last but not least, the lady who made Bossa Nova hot all over again – Lisa Ono. Just listen to her once and you will know what it means to relax.

And that wraps up my First Gift For You - The Gift of Listening.

Sometimes the act of listening alone is enough to make your loved one feel so special. Just 100% listening – with attention, affection and genuine interest.

[tags]Listening,words,music,love,relationship.dating,attention,affection,interest[/tags]