13203: “Listen” Is “Silent” Spelled Sideways
Hey there, hero!
I’m well aware of at least one thing: I talk too much.
Believe me, it’s a challenge I’ve faced all my life.
And I actively want to listen better. Listen actively. Not just wait for others to stop talking so I can start.
I look for non-verbal clues to remind myself to listen…rather than talk.
And to listen is to be open to hearing what the other person is saying…
…meaning one has to be silent to be able to listen.
And of all things, a kid’s TV dinner from my childhood sprang to mind.
Once you hear the connection, does it all make sense? Can you use this as a reminder? Or do you not need my level of mental crutch? And are you old enough to remember the Libby’s commercial?? Let me know in the comments below.
SUBSCRIBE: Apple Podcasts | YouTube Music | Spotify | Pandora | Amazon Music | iHeartRadio | TuneIn/Alexa | Podcast Index | Podcast Addict | Podchaser | Pocket Casts | Deezer | Listen Notes | Player FM | Overcast | Castro | Castbox | PodFriend | Goodpods
Want to be a better VO talent, actor or author? Here’s how I can help you…
- …become a VO talent (or a more successful one):
- …become an audiobook narrator on ACX (if you’re an actor or VO talent):
- …narrate your own book (if you’re an author):
- …have the most effective pop filter (especially for VO talent):
- …be off-book faster for on-camera auditions and work (memorize your lines):
- …master beautiful audiobook and podcast audio in one drag and drop move on your Mac:
Raw transcript:
Raw transcript:
I have a constant challenge in life I
talk too much luckily I talk for a
living so that’s good but one of the
things that I am constantly challenged
by is attentive and involved listening
and an old commercial from when I was a
kid recently popped up for me as a
memory that is actually helping me
remember to be an active listener and I
want to share that with you and this
sort of sideways approach to things in
this episode of the vo Heroes
[Music]
podcast there was a commercial when I
was growing up for
Libby’s kids TV dinners and the jingle
went when it says libes libes libes on
the label label label you will like it
like it like it on your table table
table okay so that was the adult set of
commercials for them they had a kids set
of commercials with a
character named Libby the kid now bear
with me on this cuz I’m going to tie
this all together uh Billy the Kid was a
famous Outlaw here in the United States
and Libby the kid was the character that
they use to promote the Libby’s kids s
and they would say in the commercials
that’s okay Libby is Billy spelled
sideways now what does this have to do
with listening all right listen
is
silent spelled
sideways I’ll give you a moment to
rearrange the characters in the word the
letters and the word so you know what
I’m talking about it ties in for me and
it’s it’s a it’s a nice little
Touchstone for me because it helps me
remember that even though I have this
urge to give you my feedback this urge
to join in the conversation this urge to
tell you what I think about what you’re
saying I’ve been I’ve been uh
signaled and I have been
reminded again and again and
again that being quiet being silent and
listening is a a Hallmark of of of good
manners of uh you know being polite but
also being
effective when you’re trying to better
your life and better the lives of others
listening can be so much more productive
than speaking and it’s hard for me it’s
really it’s a challenge that I have all
the time so listen is silent spelled
sideways has become something that pops
into my head every so often it’s almost
an earworm for me it’s almost like one
of those songs I can’t get out of my
head and I don’t know maybe it’s
something for you I I’m just sharing it
with you in case it’s something that
might be
useful and it also makes for a really
good headline for for a podcast episode
so there it is tell me in the comments
below if this like hit home for you um
if maybe you have a challenge or maybe
you have a challenge on the opposite
direction where you’re afraid to speak
up in a conversation or when somebody is
asking you for
feedback um it’s just something that’s
been useful in both directions for me so
uh let me know in the comments Below on
vooh heroes.com that’s where the
conversation is nice and polite and
people listen they don’t interrupt you
as you’re typing your comment okay hit
the like button if you like what you’re
hearing today subscribe to the channel
hit the notification Bell softly so it
makes that yeah that noise right there
uh I’m David H Lawrence 17 thank you so
much for watching and for listening and
I will see you in the next episode of
the vo Heroes podcast
[Music]
(from YouTube)
Re: 13203: “Listen” Is “Silent” Spelled Sideways
Sadly, I don’t recall that particular Libby’s commercial. I thought you were going to refer to the Libby’s Deep-Browned Beans commercial, voiced (I’m almost certain) by Sterling Holloway, who also voiced Winnie the Pooh for Disney.
David,
I have to watch myself in conversations as I tend to yack yack a bit.:)
It’s a daily thing. I think many of us are so use to there being sound,
when no one is speaking, or there’s a lull, us talkative ones try to fill the space with our talking; especially when the other party is not talkative or even quiet. We’re uncomfortable at times with the silence.
David,
When I am networking, I totally have to remind myself to let the person I am speaking with speak about themselves. That way I learn what they do and am able to ask pertinent questions to learn more about them. Invariably, they will in turn ask me what I do. It works for me.
I remember the Libby’s commercial and I had to smile when I heard you repeat it. Thanks for my smile of the day!
Mare
It always amazes me when other people you speak to at networking meetings find you ‘interesting’ when all you have done is listen attentively to what they have been saying—in most cases, mainly talking about themselves! A helpful acronym to remind me to do this is always be “A.B.L.E”: Always Be Listening Enthusiastically! As Mary Zajac mentioned earlier, this focused attention almost invariably prompts a request to reciprocate 🙂
Benefit from all of your podcasts, David…including this one. God Bless!
I took a class years ago in active listening, I also taught it for a bit.
Through years of management and classes I’ve learned that most people want someone to hear what they say. Most people listen to respond, not to actually get what someone is saying.
That being said, I also know I talk a lot. And I am working on that.
And I remember the Libby’s commercial also.
Thank you, David!
I’ve been told I’m a good listener. The idea that listen is silent spelled sideways is great! I’ve never heard that before 🙂