Quotes from Rebecca Z. Shafir

Blessed is the man who, having nothing to say, abstains from giving us worthy evidence of the fact. —George Eliot

Many of us would like to see an end to discrimination of all kinds, happier families, and a safer, more harmonious future for our children. But how can we as individuals make a difference? We can begin by learning to listen in a mindful way. Listening is the first step in making people feel valued. Mindful listening allows us to do more than take in peoples words; it helps us better understand the how and why of their views.

First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt: "No one on the face of this earth can make you feel inferior without your permission.

Listening to what motivates employees helps them to excel in what they do best, thus creating a happier, more fulfilling work environment. By

Here's an alarming fact: of approximately eight hundred thousand words in the English language, we use about eight hundred on a regular basis. Those eight hundred words have fourteen thousand meanings. By division there are about seventeen meanings per word. In other words, we have a one-in-seventeen chance of being understood as we intended. Perhaps you've heard of Chisholm's Third Law—If you explain something so clearly that no one can misunderstand, someone will.

Loyalty to a petrified opinion never yet broke a chain or freed a human soul —Mark Twain

A good listener is not only one who processes the spoken word and the meaning behind the words accurately, but one who makes the speaker feel valued by encouraging him to expand on his ideas and feelings. A good listener touches the lives of those to whom he listens.

Give advice only when asked and keep it short!

Listening intently even for a minute is one of the nicest gifts we can give to another human being.

Memory comprises three basic processes: encoding, storage, and retrieval.

If you cannot find the truth where you are, Where do you expect to find it? —Master Dogen