#45 - How Can I Listen to My Spouse When I'm Feeling So Defensive?

Do you find yourself plotting out how you're going to respond to someone even while they're still talking to you?

We all do this.

And it never works well.  Not for any of us.

Upleveling our listening skills is one of the most important upgrades we can make for our relationships.   Today's episode is rich with ideas of where to focus during a conversation in order to create an experience that fosters intimacy and connection for both parties.

We discuss:

• 1:20  I'm defensive and I jump to conclusions in conversations with my partner.  How do I stop?
• 3:22  How to focus on our 2 internal listening resources
• 4:28  Tips for listening deeply
• 9:02  Surfacing universal human needs
• 14:12  How "right" and "wrong" block our ability to listen from our heart
• 15:58  Unlearning domination programming
• 22:11  The price of disowning anger

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