In order to keep friendships alive you have to be able to listen to what your friends are saying to you. In High School I was the person that a lot of people came to with their problems. Whenever one of my friends was having a problem they would talk to me, because they said I was a good listener.

Being a good listener is something that comes naturally to me, and the rest of my family. We all tend to be good at blocking out physical and psychological noise when someone is talking to us. It’s something that my whole family is known for.

My dad constantly receives phone calls from co-workers who need advice on work related topics and he will talk to them for hours until the problem is solved. He is a critical listener and will give the best advice he possibly can. This is one of the many traits that I have gotten from my father.

My friends constantly ask me for advice and I analyze the entire situation and all possible outcomes. I discuss all of the possible outcome with them and help them decide what they think is the best plan to follow. Although I’m good at doing this with other people I’m not the best at following my own advice. I feel that it is much easier to listen to other people than it is to listen to yourself. Being a critical listener has helped me with improved relationships and in the workplace. However being a critical thinker also has a negative side. I tend to overthink everything to the extent where I’m completely unsure what to do. It’s easier to tell others how to act than it is yourself, nonetheless listening is a key element in life.