“Most people do not listen with the intent to understand:
They listen with the intent to reply”
I’ve seen this meme a number of times in my social media,
and I have tried to keep this piece of wisdom in mind during conversations. I admit,
I often sit in a position of anticipation, waiting for the opportunity to jump
into the conversation and wow everybody with my quick thinking, deep wisdom or
cracking wit. However, good listening is a genuine gift of compassion. It is
when we seek to understand what others are trying to say, how they are feeling
or why they are hurting.
While most of us would press ‘like’ on a quote such as this
one the moment it appears on our wall, I wonder if I could expand the thought
to the realms of our Christian Writing networks. Australasian Christian Writers
is only one writer’s network for writers Down Under. I’ve been thinking about
these networks of late as I’ve been chatting to leaders from Omega Christian
Writers, and it has struck me that perhaps those of us who use these
fellowship/network groups may be taking the services offered for granted.
As I analyse my own attitude, if I am honest, I see these
groups as an opportunity to promote myself as a writer. When put like that, it
seems a little self-serving—okay, a lot self-serving. Of course I want other
readers in these groups to click on my blog, and reply with encouragement. I
want other readers to go to my website and eagerly read what I’ve put there. I
want these readers to order not one, but several of my books, and to post
reviews and glowing reports. It’s all about ME!!
Well, that is if I’m honest. I guess if you’re honest, you
probably want those things too. Is that bad? It can’t be all bad, because that
is the idea of marketing and promoting. How else will people know about what we
do?
But there has to be more. I consider the likes of Annie
Hamilton, Rochelle Manners, Susan Barnes, Simon Kennedy, Heather Monro, Amanda
Deed, Judy Rogers, and Jenny Glazebrook. Perhaps you don’t know who these
people are. They are some of the prime movers who have either in the past or recently
organised our writer’s conference, the CALEB prize and Omega Christian Writers.
There are Iola Goulton, Jenny Blake and Narelle Atkins who facilitate this
blog. These folks work for little love and no pay and make it possible for
others of us to be visible, to connect and to promote.
As I was thinking about these leaders, and others in the various
Down Under Christian writing fellowships, I began to realise that the days of
using these networks simply for my own self-serving purposes has to end. I know
that these networks don’t mind promotion and marketing, in fact they encourage
it. But each group needs input and encouragement, and sometimes financial commitment
to keep it functioning.
Australasian Christian Writers and other Christian writing
networks can also be an opportunity for me to understand, encourage, support
and learn. I encourage all readers here today: make sure you don’t take the
leaders for granted, and if you can help in any way, be eager to do so, just as
if you put a post up, you’d hope that other folks would ‘listen’ to you, and
appreciate what it is that you are offering.
Meredith Resce has a website: www.meredithresce.com – prepare to be
amazed!
