What are the advantages of stepping into the shoes of another? Today I am joined by Neil Matthews, host of "Other People's Shoes" Podcast, and we explore the moments of pause when we choose to intentionally listen to others. Can we perhaps put ourselves aside and put another first in order to just bring more understanding to a confused and sometimes self-absorbed world? Can we listen with respect even if we are not ever going to totally understand? 

Crediting his church upbringing for his posture of "others first", Neil gives some examples of how we can set our own priorities and agendas on hold in order to try and see through another person's lens. He seeks out people for his podcast who believe they do not have value and asks them why they feel that way. He seeks to help people find their voice and value.

He shares two examples of guests who had stories that impacted his life and encourages us to walk into the growth experienced when we can listen to others. Although Neil has had many years as a podcaster and has had hundreds of guests, he says these two really impacted him by discussing issues he had heard about but had limited knowledge or understanding about.

To find out more about Neil go to https://www.opspodcast.com/ for all that Neil is doing with his podcast.

To reach out to Stephen Ray Watts, the musician performing "If You Only Knew" on this episode, go to https://dotseroband.com

The website to connect with Laura Padgett is https://lauralpadgett.com