By Rachel Schwarz

I am a self-proclaimed interrupter. By nature, I am loud, excited, and always ready to jump into a conversation. I’m a great listener- until I have something to interject. My friends joke about it with me, but it is apparent that they are often bothered by my inability to just keep my mouth shut!

Communication is a two-way street, and we’ll all get along much better if sometimes, we can just stop talking and make an effort to understand where the other person is coming from. As Karen often discusses in her programs, ‘listen’ contains all of the same letters as ‘silent’. This is NOT a coincidence!

The next time you want to open your mouth, take a moment. Is the other person finished with their story, thought, or question? Listening will lead to better understanding, stronger relationships, and happier friends!