The greatest loss we have in today’s world is the art of listening. We listen to music, we listen to the television, but we don’t listen to each other.  The only reason we do listen a lot of times is because it is our turn to talk next. You can make more friends and build substantial deeper relationships with other people simple by developing your listening skills. Good listeners are very popular with people and are usually great learners.

Good listening skills are developed just like any other basic principle of leaning. You have to practice. You have to stick to the task at hand in spite of any distractions. You have to concentrate on the others persons words and feelings. You have to focus on their thoughts. It may not help you , but it certainly helps the other person when you give them your undivided attention. You need to check your emotions at the door and never jump to conclusions.

My main focus is on the relationship I have with the kids I take to Church. I don’t get to see them but twice a week so I am constantly asking them what they did in school and at home. I can usually tell when someone is having a problem because of their reluctance to talk. So I prod them into sharing with me their troubles.

So the next key to developing sound relationships is to encourage one another. You have to have faith in them. We are supposed to build one another up. We are to be working as a team. It is an essential element in building and maintaining a positive relationship. Bestowing confidence in another person regardless of the relationship you have with them creates an atmosphere for them to succeed. Every person has the ability to do great things for others and for God when people believe in them. One way to motivate others to succeed is to remind them of their past successes and continue to have faith in them when they fail. You have to relate to people as individuals and show them that you truly care. To do this you have to take a chance and lead with your heart. I always believe that every person I meet is in someway smarter than I am and I can learn from them.

To convince someone else that you respect them, trust them and believe in them you must have integrity. You have to have integrity in your personal affairs and in your business affairs. You have to be honest, sincere and upright. These are character traits you can  not develop during a crisis. These are traits you have to live by on a daily basis. You can’t be flexible in your moral principles and still convince someone you have integrity.

There isn’t any question for a Christian as to what is right or wrong. The question should be will it hurt my testimony? Will my actions influence others to do wrong? Will me going to this place or doing this particular thing influence my weaker brother to fall back into sin? Whether you like it or not every action you take influences others around you. Kids and adults are forming opinions about you and themselves based on everything you say and do.  We are a walking, talking influence. That is why it is extremely important that we carry ourselves in a way that leads our brothers and sisters to do what is right.