963 Uncomfortable Conversations and the Value of Truly Listening

This is Five Minute Friday. Reverend Michael Beckwith said, Our context determines our perception. My context is I am here to contribute to a kind and just global society. If I have that context, I can say, Let me be an instrument of peace. The last couple weeks in America have been, well, it can be hard to put all your thoughts and feelings into words, but I'm going to try because I know my voice is important, I know it matters, and I personally want to make a difference. And my intention is to take a little time on this Friday just to connect with you, my listeners, and discuss what I've been learning and what I've been thinking about. And I want to acknowledge the conversation that I'm starting to have, like the one with Reverend Beckwith for my podcast on Wednesday, as well as the conversations I'm having out of the public eye. And as I continue to try to educate myself on the issues facing America today on racism, justice, white privilege and more. And I'm telling you, they can be difficult and at times uncomfortable. But as Reverend Beckwith told me this week, we're not here to make people comfortable. We're here to make people great. and there's a lot I don't know. And there's more than one right way to make a positive impact. I'm aware of both of these things and I'm working to learn as much as I can. So in this moment, I'm meditating on the importance of being a good listener and always maintaining an open mind and open heart. This is something I've done for seven plus years on the School of Greatness is listen. It's not called the Lewis Howes Show where I talk, It's called the School of Greatness, where I listen to experts, to inspiring leaders, to world-class individuals who have gone through tremendous challenges to get to where they're at. And I think right now, listening is more important than ever. Listen to the people in your family, in your household, and the people closest to you. It can be easy to forget how important it is to prioritize them when you're caught up in the stress of the world. Listen to your network, the feedback they're giving you. what they need from you. Listen to the world with an open mind and an open heart with compassion and love. And part of being a good listener is acknowledging which voices need to be heard, seeking them out and helping to amplify them. And listening isn't about automatically believing everything you hear from people. It's about being open to new perspectives, doing your research, and making adjustments based on that. In certain conversations, especially right now, there are specific things we need to stand up for. I get that. Choosing when and how to use your voice is incredibly important. But you need to be a good listener in order for your voice in turn to be trusted and heard. I highly encourage you to go check out the episode I just did with Reverend Michael Beckwith. If you haven't listened to it yet, please go listen to it right after this. It's inspiring. It's helpful, it's resourceful, and it will empower you to make decisions moving forward. And as he said in the episode, people suffer from intention deficit disorder. Be intentional with your listening and go out there and do something great. Thank you so much for listening and I hope you enjoyed this 5 Minute Friday. As always, check out LewisHowes.com/5MinuteFriday for more School of Greatness inspiration and find me on social media at Lewis Howes. And as always, you know what time it is. It's time to go out there and do something great.