Seek first to Understand....

Throughout my life, I have always held my friends high. I have always tried to be the absolute best friend that I could no matter what the circumstance. But now that I have taken a step back and looked at what I do to them, I realize that there is a lot that needs to change. I noticed that I haven't really been listening to them. Whenever I would talk to them about a rough time they were going through, I would always say that I know how they feel. When in all reality, every one's situation is completely different than anyone else. That is what we are taught in 7 Habits. If we learn to actually listen to people, we will become very effective at communicating our thoughts and feelings to others. This obviously has to do with Seeking to understand, and then be understood. It has completely given me a paradigm shift in my life and things have really changed. I have grown closer to my friends because of this simple tool. It has been an amazing experience and I am going to continue to use it for the rest of my life.