Observe

Tune in with your senses. We have five that we use all the time. There are others, like that ‘gut feeling’ you have when something doesn’t feel right. You know the one–your friend shares a story with you. You’re not sure everything in the story is true. The wrong information keeps wriggling away and you can’t pin it down.

Our senses (touch, sight, hearing, taste and smell) work together as we observe our world. Sometimes, we use them without knowing. And often, we don’t use them as well as we should.

Try this–do you know the difference between hearing and listening?

Your teacher is going on about something in math. You’re not sure what it is, so your brain kind of switched your ears off. You can hear the teacher’s voice, but you’re not listening. That is, your brain has stopped processing what the teacher is saying.

Your brain’s hippocampus (see this post) has closed the gate on letting in new information. So, while you can hear the teacher’s voice, nothing is getting through. What will it take to get you listening?

Answer: It will take a mighty effort on your part. Not only will you have to force yourself to listen, but you’ll also need to work on catching up.