This Was Supposed to be Easy Podcast

S2 Episode 30: We Thought Listening Was Going to be Easy

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Listening sounds simple, but as Amy and Cheryl discover in this two-part series, it’s one of the most misunderstood, and underdeveloped, skills we carry into our families, friendships, and workplaces. In Part One, the conversation dives into the culture of listening we inherit, the distractions that keep us from being present, and the surprising ways we confuse “hearing” with truly listening.

Through personal stories, reflections on ADHD, family dynamics, sarcasm, and even the role of technology, Amy and Cheryl unpack how listening shapes connection, and why it’s harder than we think.

 

Key Topics & Takeaways

  • Listening as a skill we can practice and develop.
  • How family and cultural backgrounds influence listening styles.
  • The difference between hearing and listening.
  • Interrupting, cutting off, and the habit of “finishing” someone else’s thoughts.
  • The role of distractions (phones, watches, competing priorities).
  • Listening with intention: to respond, to learn, or simply to support.
  • Why setting boundaries around time can improve listening.
  • The trap of listening to fix versus listening to understand.
  • Insights from Suzanne Axelsson’s work on.

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    Memorable Lines

    • “Listening is being able to be changed by another person.” – M. Scott Peck
    • “Hearing and listening are not the same thing. Hearing is vibration on your eardrum. Listening is doing something with it.” – Amy
    • “Sometimes we need the courage to keep our mouths shut, even if we have opinions.” – Cheryl
    • “Am I speaking to hear myself speak, or am I speaking because I have value to add?” – Amy

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      Challenge for the Week

      This week, notice the why behind your listening. Are you listening to respond? To fix? To connect? Try pausing and asking yourself:

      • Do I need to add something here, or would silence serve better?
      • What does the other person really need from me in this moment?

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        Additional Resources

        • Suzanne Axelsson’s The Original Learning Approach (chapter on Listening)
        • Stephen Covey’s The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People (levels of listening).

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          Stay Connected

          If this episode made you think differently about listening, don’t miss Part Two coming soon!

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            This Was Supposed to be Easy PodcastBy supposedtobeeasy