Howard Thurman 7 Habits

A wise African-American author named Howard Thurman once said, “There is something in every one of you that waits and listens for the sound of the genuine in yourself... and if you cannot hear it, you will all of your life spend your days on the ends of strings that somebody else pulls.” There are two keys to becoming your best self: the ability to listen and the seven habits of effective people. Habits one through four focus on oneself; they are habits that help an individual find what is important in his or her life and how to maintain and prioritize those things. Habits five through seven are external habits that challenge individuals to optimize their interaction with individuals and vice versa. Thurman’s statement says that the only way to gain full control …show more content…
The first four habits are: be proactive, begin with the end in mind, put first things first and think win-win. Being proactive is about taking responsibility for one’s own actions and focusing on one’s circle of influence rather than their circle of concern. If an individual is able to be proactive then it is more likely that they will be able to recognize and take responsibility for their bad listening skills which means they will be able to then improve their listening skills. Beginning with the end in mind is about being able to envision what does not exist. When applied to listening, this habit can become the core of a conversation. For example, think of a time when you were introduced to someone and did not have a goal in mind as you spoke to that person. How successful was that conversation? The point is, if a goal is not set by