Listening With Your Heart

To be a good listener, we need to practice empathy; attempt to feel  
what the other person is feeling by listening with your heart and not  
your head. There are times when we all need a shoulder to cry on (as  
the saying goes) and we would like to feel understood when we "cry in  
that shoulder."
 
To be a good listener, we need to refrain from interrupting the person  
when they speak and curb the desire to say phrases such as,  
"Everything will be okay", "There are others in worse situations", "Be  
strong, crying won't solve anything", "You have to be positive." This  
makes the person in need feel lonely and misunderstood. They might  
even feel that they are weak because they don't know how to cope.
 
If we can't offer empathy or don't know what to say, we can remain  
silent and even admit that we don't know how to handle the situation,  
but always offering ourselves to be there to lend a listening ear, or  
comforting touch.

The Legendary Micheal Jackson

Michael Joseph Jackson was born on August 29, 1958 in Indiana and passed away on June 25, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. He was one in a family of seven brothers and sisters. His music, lyrics, sense of fashion, and dance moves were unique and inspired many stars. He was inspired by legends such as Fred Astaire and Sammy Davis. He had followers across the globe. Micheal Jackson was a true legend but what stands out in my mind and heart, was his noble heart and the great humanitarian that he was.