We are not seeing a situation as it truly is if we have expectations

I'm trying to make a consorted effort to be a better listener.  I've practiced active listening in the past with some success but I've recently found people, myself included, often listen with expectation.  We're listening for hidden meaning.  We're listening for truth.  We're listening for inconsistencies.  We're listening with fear, anxiety and doubt.  We're listening but we're not.  We cannot truly see a situation as it is if we have expectations of the outcome.  It seems simple enough to just listen so why do so many people not hear what's being said?

We live in a fast-paced world where information chances each second.  Not being able to engage and actively listen is dangerous because at some point you begin to alienate yourself.  You don't need to hear the rest of the story, you know what happens.  You don't need to sit through the meeting, you know what direction the company will take.  You push yourself away from the dialogue and observe from the peripheral.  At some point, people will stop coming to you with their stories or strategic discussions because you're simply not open.

We have to practice being open daily; it's a skill that can be improved but never mastered.  Being open means we're willing to be present and offer ourselves to others.  My practice has brought me to a place where I'm more open, less expectant and happier seeing each situation for what it truly is.  A closed eye can't see, a closed ear can't hear and a closed hand can't be taken.