Listening All the Way Through

Eyes, ears, silence — that’s the three-step setup for conversations that actually breathe. Most talk is a relay race, with each speaker gripping the baton of attention for a few gasping seconds. Slow listening swaps the stopwatch for a hammock and invites both voices to settle in.

Turn the body. Square your shoulders, put the phone face-down, and let your gaze find the other person’s eyes. This micro-gesture whispers I’m here louder than any verbal assurance.

Pause your thoughts. When a sentence triggers your inner monologue — advice, comeback, rebuttal — notice it, then let it drift by like a cloud. Your brain will fetch it later. For now, give the speaker the full bandwidth they’re rarely granted.

Echo what matters. A simple “So what I’m hearing is…” or “It sounds like you feel…” hands the baton back without grabbing it. People exhale when they realize they’ve been understood, not evaluated.

Close the loop. Before the topic changes, ask one question that nudges the story forward. It can be as gentle as “What happened next?” or “How did that sit with you?” The question is a porch light that shows you’re willing to stay a little longer.

Five minutes of this practice turns a casual chat into a small, portable sanctuary. The speaker leaves lighter, you leave wiser, and the world gains one more corner where words can land softly and stay awhile.

Who deserves your full-attention listening this week, and when will you give it?

— Lawrence

Thanks for reading Still Stories! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.