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# Listening notes
- URL: https://www.gilespcroft.com/listening-notes/
- Published: 2026-06-01T06:00:36.000Z
- Updated: 2026-06-01T06:00:36.000Z
- Description: Some helpful pointers on the topic of listening… for a better experience all round 👂🏻
- Author: Giles P Croft
- Tags: Listening, Attention, Habit change, MECHANICS, Real stories, Relationships, Thought realisation, #Premium CTA

Last weekend’s [Listening World Summit](https://thelisteningworld.com/?ref=gilespcroft.com) that I attended online had some lovely little observations about the act of listening: what it is, what it’s not, how to do it, what happens when we do.

### Listening: a doing, or a being?

Michael Neill, author of the [*Inside-Out Revolution*](https://amzn.to/4nXqthj?ref=gilespcroft.com), got things kicked off, when he pointed out that one of the reasons we can ‘struggle’ with listening, is because we see it as a skill, when really it’s just something that happens naturally.

👂🏻

Every time we ‘try’ to figure out what’s getting in the way of us communicating—to ‘improve’ our listening—**that’s the very thing that’s getting in the way* of a natural process!

### How to spot listening

[Aaron Turner](https://onethought.com/?ref=gilespcroft.com) expanded on this, later in the day, when he gave us a checklist of sorts, to help identify when listening is happening. We can see that when we're with another person:

- Listening is ‘being in neutral’ – you’re not attached to your own imaginings about what’s being said 🤔
- Listening is really easy! You don’t have to actually *do* anything 🥳
- Listening feels good – the creeping in of unease or urgency is a sign that ego’s returned, with its wants and needs, trying to get your attention and distract you from listening (“Like jumpy puppies”!) 🐶
- Listening gives you a genuine sense of what the other person is really trying to *convey*, beyond the mere words that they’re saying.

### Listening to change the world

This last one really caught my attention. Michael (again) pointed out that listening is the only sure-fire way to cure all the world's ills, because:

> *“It's the one thing that nobody minds.”*

Reflect on that for a moment: can you think of anyone, anywhere who would *reject* being listened to? As Michael said,

- It's universally accepted
- Everybody likes it
- It crosses all cultures
- It's not a problem anywhere, so it can help everywhere!

Let's all commit to relaxing back away from the mind's perceived needs this week, and *being* better listeners.

💟

Giles

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