Stop. Listen. Learn. - WSET.com - ABC13

By: Dhomonique Ricks

Question for you. How often do you find yourself rushing around from place to place, thinking about all the things you have to get done? For most of us, all the time. Personally, I am always on the go, thinking about 10,000 things that I need to do. But recently I learned to stop, listen and learn…and the person who taught me to do this is a 77-year-old man.

I have always been extremely athletic and spend lots of time in the gym. About two months ago, a man sitting in the lobby caught my attention. I could see him as I worked out and he just sat in a chair in the lobby for hours saying "hi" to people who passed by. He just wanted someone to talk to. There was something different about this guy, so my way out one evening, I plopped down in a chair right next to him and we began to talk. 10 minutes went by, 30, an hour. Before I knew it, I had been sitting next to him for two hours just chatting away. You see, he was full of stories; just an intriguing individual.

You never know what you can learn or find out about a person by just taking the time to slow down, stop, listen and learn. Now, I see him almost every day and he waits for me to finish my workout and then we chat. I've made it a point to schedule at least 30 minutes after every workout to stop, listen and learn. And believe it or not, I've learned so much about the world we live in through the eyes of this 77-year-old man. He has become a friend, because instead of brushing by and saying a quick "hi" like most people, he intrigued me, so I took the time to stop, listen and learn.

I encourage you all this week to try it. Who knows, you may learn something new, and at the very least, you may make someone's day.