5 Ways Improvisational Comedy Helps You Listen So You Can Be Heard

Most of us are rotten listeners.  My online research indicates most of us only hear one-fourth to one-half of what we think we hear.

It is tough not to take it personally when people don’t hear what you have to say.  You don’t feel valued.  You feel like your message doesn’t matter.  You may begin to believe people don’t care or view you as important. 

Usually, what people hear has nothing to do with what they’ve heard.  Usually, what they hear has nothing to do with them.  It has nothing to do with you.  It has everything to do with lack of listening skills we were never taught.

My problem is I’m not as good of a listener as I believe I am.  I listen to what’s said.  But I don’t always listen to myself so I can put what’s said into perspective.  I listen to what’s said, but I don’t always listen to the perspective of the person doing the talking. 

I fail to hear the truth in what is said.  I just hear my need to be heard.

A lot of communicators are lousy listeners.  We’re too busy thinking about how we should respond to what we think we’re hearing.  Are we saying what we think the other person wants to hear because we’re people pleasers?  Some of us are.  Some of us aren’t.

But remember, beauty might be in the eye of the beholder but that doesn’t mean silence isn’t always golden.  The gold goo could be rust.  But you will never know if you’re not listening.

It is not uncommon for me to feel as if I’m not being heard.  In fact, one reason I write is because it is less discriminating than having my silver-tongue oratory criticized due to my native-Texas drawl. 

I have learned that once you grab the attention of your public, people are more apt to remember what you have to say if you entertain them or make them laugh.  Here are five other reasons why learning to listen and being aware in the moment can improve your fun, your disposition, your memory, your mindset.

1.      Fun takes the pressure off being perfect.  The games require mindfulness or the art of being aware and being present.  It’s about coming to the table without preconceived outcomes.  The focus is on the fun and responding in a positive manner to what is being said and taking place.

2.      If you want to communicate with angels, you must be able to listen without judgment.  Yes, you read that right.  I signed up for an angel communication course because I believe there is more to life than U.S. politics.  I need to know divinity still exists and so does life on Earth – although Elon Musk prefers Mars.

3.      Improv games require the players to listen to themselves and their partners.  The structure of the mental craft forces me to accept concepts without passing judgement.  To become good enough at the craft to transform it into an art, mental adaptability is a must.  I must exercise my cognitive skills even when they don’t want to cooperate.

4.      If I’m not able to listen to myself and my improv partner, I probably am not paying attention to messages from Spirit.  Spiritual leaders and metaphysicians tell me we can all get messages when we take time to quiet our minds and tune in.  By learning to listen, the improv players learn to trust themselves and each other.  Those new levels of confidence are not restricted to the stage.

5.      Discover possibility in the moment versus missing opportunity through perceived responses.  The essence of improv is accepting what is given to you by your partner.  The goal is to make each other look good by working together as one and not as a supporting actor and a star.  Plus, proponents contend the physical process of participating in improv games assists in keeping cognitive skills active.

I get to play while I am open to uncertainty with the certainty that I am here to create and, express and have fun.  I cannot get it wrong.

I also believe improv class will help me be a better listener to you and people such as you – the people I serve. 

Plus, class participants always laugh.  Laughter reduces stress and lowers blood pressure.  Laughing also releases endorphins while supplying other healthy benefits to the human body.  So take time to see the lighter side of life.  Take time to listen – especially to your own laughter.