Distracting thoughts, mental chaos, thinking two steps ahead of myself – all those interfere with inner calm. They also interfere with real listening to others. When I don’t listen well, I think I fill in the blank spots with assumptions, which are based on my own past experience, not on the other person’s comments.

As I practice finding stillness in my own head, disrupting thoughts will fade and I’ll be able to pick up more from what others are trying to say, maybe understand more, maybe learn more, definitely expand my perspective more. It’ll be hard to break a habit of constantly trying to think two steps ahead all the time, trying to anticipate and avoid problems or possible tasks.