Are you listening?

Today's topic: Are you a good listener? Why or why not? What types of things make you a good or bad listener? What types of concrete things can you do today to make you a better listener?

It's hard to say if I'm a "good" or "bad" listener. Things that make me a good listener are that I can retain a lot of information that I've heard and that I try to ask questions to clarify information so I can then better remember what I've heard. But on the other hand, in pressure situations I'm not a very good listener because I'm always worried about what I'm going to do, if I'm going to do it right, and what will be the outcome. I guess something I can do to improve my listening is to make a concscious effort in listening, rather than just hearing. What I mean by that is that listening means to take what you hear and apply it to your own life. For example, maybe if I heard a song--I can hear the lyrics and instrumentals, but if I really listen I can make sense of situations in my own life.