And now for a little me time
THE POWER OF ... SERIES
The power of listening
by Lorna Gordon
We hear thing around us all day and night , birds singing , cars on the road , music , TV shows , people talking , but hearing things and actually listening are two different things .
Active listening is something we do when we are having a conversation with a person , we listen to their voice , what they are saying , the tone they use and the body language they are showing . By paying attention to all of these things we gain a better understanding of what people are talking about .
If you are listening to your partner or kids while looking at your phone , making dinner or watching TV you are only giving them part of your attention , and sometimes this is OK , but doing it all the time reduces the connection you have .
By choosing to stop what you are doing and focus on your conversations you are showing you value what is happening in that person ’ s life , building trust and feelings of importance with them .
At home you can have set times where distractions are put away , I find a no phones or TV rule at dinner time allows us to share what went on in our days and what might be coming up for each of us . It doesn ’ t matter how you do it but making sure you spend some time listening to your kids , family or friends away from screens to ensure you are connecting and understand what is
PODCASTS
by Lorna Gordon
This month ’ s podcast is brought to you by Impact Studios , which are part of UTS and is hosted by Angelica Ojinnaka Psillakis , a local woman from Blacktown . Angelica never learned to swim as a child and faces learning this life skill as an adult , talking us through all the emotions attached to learning to swim at an older age than usual .
This documentary style podcast is short , it only has three episodes , but they pack a punch . The first episode she talks to people at Mt Druitt pool and how swimming is part of the Australian identity , but many people can ’ t swim .
In the second episode , Angelica
Actively listening to your friends and family makes your relationships stronger .
happening in their lives .
Actively listening not only helps your personal relationships , but also your work relationships . If your boss listens to you and takes on board your ideas , concerns about your job , you will probably feel better about working there . On the other hand if they don ’ t make you feel like your conversations matter or don ’ t act on anything you bring to them , you are likely to look for work elsewhere .
If you want to make the most of listening to the people in your life , set aside distractions and give them the benefit of your full attention , and if you can ’ t do it at that time , say you are making dinner or are about to make a phone call , then ask if you can speak to them when you are finished so you can hear what they have to say .
At the end of the day , we all like to think we are being heard by those around us , so make a conscious effort to do this yourself and see what a difference it makes in your life .
SINK OR SWIM
decides to take the plunge and take free swimming lessons as an adult during the sizzling summer of 2023 and 2024 . She talks to the other adults who are learning with her and how they feel about achieving each new skill and gaining confidence being in the water .
In the last episode you find out if Angelica overcame her fear and learned how to swim and how her confidence has changed about being in the water .
I think this is an open and inspiring podcast to listen to , especially if you never had a chance to learn to swim as a child . I hope it encourages you to get in the water instead of missing out this summer . You can listen to Sink or Swim on the usual platforms .
AT THE FLICKS
GIVEAWAY
PADDINGTON IN PERU
WIN A MAJOR PRIZE PACK !
Release Date : In Cinemas January 1 Duration : 106 minutes Classification : PG Censorship Advice : Mild themes
PADDINGTON IN PERU brings Paddington ’ s story back to Peru as he returns to visit his beloved Aunt Lucy , who resides at the Home for Retired Bears . With the Brown Family in tow , a thrilling adventure ensues when a mystery plunges them into an unexpected journey through the Amazon rainforest and up to the mountain peaks of Peru .
MAJOR PRIZE PACK
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ENTER TO WIN !! To go into the draw to win a Paddington in Peru Major Prize pack send us an email with Paddington in Peru in the subject line to info @ hdinews . com . au and leave us your name , address and phone number .
All winners will be notified by phone / email .
To go into the draw to win a Paddington in Peru Major Prize pack send us an email with Paddington in Peru in the subject line to info @ hdinews . com . au and leave us your name , address and phone number . All winners will be notified by email / phone .
14 ISSUE 114 // DECEMBER 2024 MERRY CHRISTMAS & HAPPY HOLIDAYS ! theindependentmagazine . com . au THE HILLS INDEPENDENT