“Listen” to hear. “Observe” to see. “Feel” to be.

The one mistake most people make is that they are not active or aware of what is happening. Routines are so hectic that people process incidents and situations on impulse than comprehension.

Listen to Hear

The need for comprehension in today’s world is dire. With more people acting on impulse, there is a scarcity in personal development, relations, and work ethics. Yes, a simple act of acting on impulse can result in many aspects of our lives getting affected.

Again, everything is interconnected. Our actions affect our situations. So while everything may not be in our control, our reaction is most definitely in our control.

While a walk will help induce a sense of peace, the other thing you can do to control your emotions is to utilize your senses. It may sound absurd. Are we not using our senses? We are! Although not to their right potential.

Let’s start with the problem. For example, when you get a project, you will read through the details, hear what the client has to say, and sit right away to work on it. It seems organized. However, there is a constraint to this. You are only reading the words than understanding how the client wants that project to roll out. What happens next is that the client may come complaining about how the work is not as per their expectations.

You may amend it initially, only to realize you are going on a loop with the client. None of you can resolve the issue, and that is because neither listened to hear. You only listened to act.

How can you listen to hear then, and what is the difference? To begin with, the difference between listening to hear is getting to know the outcome of something. Listening to act is you understanding something enough to be done with it.

To hear, you will have to sit down and talk about the project with the client. Rather than focusing on the details of the projects, ask for the requirements and their motive behind the work. What is it that is to be achieved? This will help develop a foundation of the motive behind your work, giving you a better picture of the client’s expectations.

Observe to See

Then comes observation. It is pretty similar to listening to hear to acting. Often, we view our distress as a calamity than trying to observe the situation.

In many parts of life, the distinction between seeing and observing is crucial. Observation is far more than just looking at something; it's a conceptual approach that takes both vision and mind.

So, when you only see a situation, you only accept the visual challenge a situation may entail. That way, your brain only focuses on the superficial negative layer, feeling powerless about the situation. As a result, you may not be able to come up with solutions. You will look at the situation in a dead-end manner since your mind will not be involved.

Alternatively, when you observe, you involve your mind in the visuals. Your mind will grow curious and try to think of all that is involved, from why something occurred to the motives involved in a challenge. Observation will trigger a deep thought process, making you use your senses.

That way, you will enable yourself to ask – are you doing the right thing? Are you approaching something the right way? Does your task serve you in any way? If not, what can be done right?

Do you see the vast difference now? Barely seeing something allows you to focus on the negative. You get the job done, though it is incorrect because you went for the first glimpse. Whereas observing something allows you to focus on the solutions as well. Observing lets, you take a moment to see things thoroughly for what they are. Additionally, observation will channel your conscious state, making you mindful of all that is taking place.

Feel to Be

Once you learn how to comprehend and observe, you can understand the definition of ‘feel.’ The common factor that attributes the disconnection of one’s presence to their surroundings is the lack of utilization of one’s senses—the effects of this result in demotivation to accomplish tasks and live up to your potential.

When you sit down and ask questions to comprehend a situation, when you sit down and observe things as they happen, you force your conscious state to awaken. When your mind awakens, you will be able to see things for what they are and have to offer. That will make you justify your actions. With a justified sense of what you are doing, your work will become meaningful.

You will have a better understanding of why you are doing something. An increasingly common sight is people feeling disconnected from their actions and workplace. They feel as though they are not part of something despite being in that circle.

What happens is that when people simply do things as a routine, their mind cannot understand how they are benefiting from it? Moreover, to understand how a person benefits from something or how that particular thing is serving them, they have to feel like a part of the system. However, it gets disconnected since our actions are impulse-based.

When you feel like a part of something, your actions find a motive, bringing you contentment. As humans, we cannot do something without knowing they are serving us in any way. It is human instinct. Regardless, working on getting something done defies this very instinct, leading to a sense of detachment.

Detachment can then lead to hearing and seeing to act than to understand the logic behind a situation. What gets comprised through this detachment is our sense of belonging. Our emotions may become muddled, leading to a chain of events that will leave us with frustration and anger.

How can you overcome all of this? It is through making mindful decisions of what you are to do. It intends your movements. Once your mind registers an act as your intention, it will grow alert, giving you a sense of control through the process. As you will continue making mindful decisions and start paying attention to your surroundings, you will see how you are a part of something instead.

Once you can see yourself being a part of a system other than round, a sense of pride will overcome you. Your progress may have been overshadowed due to subconscious actions receiving clarity, allowing you to comprehend things for what they are. Then, be it your workplace or social circle, you will see how your presence contributes to your surroundings, bringing about peace and contentment.

The essence of being present in your surroundings is critical. It is what allows you to see what your purpose is so you can work mindfully. When you know your purpose, you can grow in life. You will no longer live on a day-to-day basis; rather, your mind will start envisioning progress.

The sense of wanting to do something more will fill your heart with anticipation. And the journey you have been walking on for so long, it will become clear – there is a reason you are walking. Anger may only have inhibited your growth, though a little tweaking your perception will bring meaning to your life and actions.