This week’s article is about the under-appreciated topic of listening, starting with an excerpt from my first book, CLARITY (© Jamie Smart 2013, published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd):
“Don’t take this the wrong way, but I get the impression that you haven’t been listening very well until now…”
This sentence caught me by surprise. My new coach didn’t know it, but I was renowned for my listening skills. I had trained for many years to notice fine distinctions in voice tone and body language, and could unpack the deep structures of what a person was saying, moment to moment. The idea that I wasn’t a good listener seemed preposterous to me. But I was curious, so I asked what he meant.
My coach explained, very gently, that when I was listening, it seemed like I had a lot on my mind. I was “doing” listening; it was something I was working at. He said that listening in this way was OK for getting an intellectual understanding of something, but it wasn’t going to help me have the clarity and insights that could really make a difference in my life.
As I reflected on it, I realized that this is how we’ve all been taught to listen. It’s how we’ve been taught to read. It’s how we’ve been “taught” to learn.
But it used to be different.
You were born a listener and learner. It’s thanks to these natural abilities that you can walk and talk today. You knew how to listen long before anyone ever “taught” you how to think; before you knew how to analyze and judge; before you were taught that analysis and judgement had any value.
If you’re anything like me, you were taught to read, listen and learn for an intellectual understanding, and that’s fine as far as it goes. But it’s time to remember a different way to read, listen and learn: reading for insight…
DISTINCTION: Reading for information vs. Reading for insight
When most people read, they’re trying to fit what they’re reading into what they already know, seeing how the new information can slot into their existing cognitive structure. This is reading for information; looking to verify and build upon what you know. But there’s another way of reading. You can read in a way that creates a space for an “intuitive knowing” that already exists within your consciousness to emerge more fully into your awareness. This is reading for insight.
This Week’s Facebook Live:
“The #1 Most Overlooked Ability When it Comes to Enrolling Clients & Having a Massive Impact”
Another one that pretty much does what it says on the tin. You’re going to learn
- What the #1 most overlooked ability is
- Why it’s so important (as well as why most coaches overlook it)
- How you can develop that ability for yourself, starting today
>>> Click HERE to watch “The #1 Most Overlooked Ability When it Comes to Enrolling Clients & Having a Massive Impact”
One from the Archives: What are the 3 Principles?
The 9-minute clip you’re about to listen to is an excerpt from an interview where I was asked the question, “What are the 3 principles.” As you’ll hear, my response started in somewhere that’s probably pretty familiar to most people and ended up somewhere much deeper.
In fact, by the time we’d reached the end of my answer, the feeling was so deep and profound that my interviewers fell completely silent, and we sat in that insight-friendly space for the next 25 seconds. Here’s the clip:
>>> Click HERE to watch What are the 3 Principles?
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Big Love
Jamie
Jamie Smart, Sunday Times Bestselling Author, Speaker & Coach
PS One more thing… the doors are open for Clarity Certification Training 2022 (CCT). CCT is our flagship seven-month programme for people who want to bring an understanding of the principles behind clarity into their life and their work.
If you want to share this understanding with others in some way (for example to become a successful coach, therapist or trainer) and want to learn how to do this in a way that’s natural, authentic and impactful then this is the ideal opportunity to join CCT.
PPS A few things worth knowing…
- Clarity Certification Training (CCT) is our flagship seven-month programme for people who want to bring an understanding of the principles behind clarity into their life and their work.
- I will be delivering all 7 modules on CCT, so you’re going to be working closely with me personally. This means you’ll have the chance to get 1:1 coaching with me in a group context.
- We’re limiting the number of places on the programme to 36 people. This year’s programme sold out, so we’re expecting CCT 2022 to be fully booked too.
- When you join now, you’re going to get instant access to the full recordings of a prior year’s programme to start listening to between today and the formal kickoff in January. So everybody’s going to be starting the programme with an even deeper understanding!
- CCT is accredited by the ICF as a Continuous Coaching Education (CCE) provider. If you’re already certified as an ICF coach, you’ll earn ICF CCE units when you do CCT. If you’re not already a certified ICF coach, you can take part in CCT with full confidence that the programme is fully accredited by the ICF as a Continuous Coaching Education provider.
- You can join from the comfort of your own home using our state-of-the-art live-streaming facility, and…
- You can save up to £2,000 when you book your place by midnight Pacific time on 29th November 2021.
>>> You can get the full programme details and register here
And if you have any questions, you can schedule a call with Deb on my team. Deb was one of the first graduates of Clarity Certification Training (she didn’t join our company until after the training had finished) so she’s got in-depth personal experience of the programme.
Whatever questions you may have – from payment plans to personal matters – Deb will be happy to discuss them with you in complete confidentiality. Just book a call in her diary here.
