Episode 131: Change the Way You Listen, Change Your World In this episode of "Your Inner Advocate," host Kimen Petersen explores the transformative power of changing the way we listen. Drawing from personal stories and thoughtful insights, Kimen discusses how our perceptions, emotional filters, and past experiences shape what we hear in conversations. He introduces the concept of "listening lenses"—the invisible biases and beliefs that color our interpretation of others' words. Through practical tools and real-life examples, listeners are encouraged to assume positive intent, seek the gold in every conversation, identify others' "languages of love," and approach interactions with curiosity. The episode emphasizes that by shifting our listening habits, we can deepen relationships, reduce conflict, and foster greater understanding and compassion in our lives. = 00:00 – Introduction to the podcast and its purpose. 00:40 – The impact of perception: "Change the way you look at things, the things you look at change." 01:08 – The active process of listening and how relationships affect what we hear. 02:24 – How our memories, beliefs, and emotional wounds filter our listening. 04:00 – The concept of confirmation bias and emotional filters in communication. 06:00 – The power of meaning-making and the realization that we can change our internal narrative. 08:00 – The importance of steering our own ship by changing how we listen. 10:00 – Emotional confirmation bias and inherited "languages of love." 13:00 – The quote: "We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are." 15:00 – Listening through emotional fragments and narratives from the past. 17:00 – The role of attention and emotional lenses in shaping our experience. 20:00 – Family dynamics and why advice from loved ones can feel more charged. 23:00 – The only thing we can control is our internal world and reactions. 25:00 – The "coat" metaphor: trying on new ways of listening. 28:00 – The transformative power of assuming positive intent in conversations. 32:00 – Listening for wisdom and value beneath the surface. 35:00 – Understanding others' "languages of love" and translating intention. 38:00 – The four practical listening lenses: Assume positive intent Listen for gold Identify their language of love Get curious 45:00 – Personal stories illustrating the impact of reframing how we listen. 50:00 – The benefits of shifting from reacting to understanding and connecting. 53:00 – Closing thoughts: building your inner advocate and changing your experience by changing how you listen. End – Outro and call to action.