When was the last time you were honestly and deeply listened to?  What about the last time you sincerely listened to others? Do you spend too much time thinking about something else instead of really focusing on the person speaking?

Though most of us have two ears that can hear very well, it seems as if no one knows how to use them anymore.  Listening to others, or even yourself, has become a lost art.  The problem is that everyone wants to be heard, but nobody wants to listen.

The inability to listen well is not only seen in education, business, and politics, but it has become a habit in our individual personal lives.

Whether society is distracted by technology, things needing to be done, or the silence it takes to listen, getting others to listen has become a rising problem everywhere you go.

I had always thought that I was one of the best listeners, that I stopped what I was doing to help a peer calm down or solve a problem.

When I began to think of all the times I listened to someone, I realized that I too have fallen guilty to being a bad listener and have been too distracted by something that I felt was more important than the person.

Due to a busy schedule, one of the biggest obstacles that I face when I’m trying to listen to someone is worrying too much about what I have to do after the conversation is done.

I had never realized just how frustrated my friends were becoming when I thought I was being  proactive with my work.

A poll taken by 100 students reveals that 56 percent of NH students believed that they were a good listener, while an astounding 64 percent did not.

It is very important, especially in this day and age, to listen to what others have to say, without giving your own opinion or interrupting their point.  A lot of people jump at the opportunity to give their own opinion but never give anyone else a say in the matter.

So, the question is, how do we combat bad listening skills and distractions distancing us from the well-deserved attention of our friends?

Staying silent, maintaining eye contact, and easing your mind about stresses going on around you are only some of the precautions you can take when you are getting ready to have a deep conversation with another person.

It may not be easy at first, but putting your focus on something you want to get better at is the first step in becoming an improved version of yourself.