Approach with caution! Like there's a flashing neon sign flashing above my mother's head every time I find myself attempting to engage in certain conversations with her. We never had a "characteristic" style relationship, but she was one of my closest confidantes during my early adult years. I went to my mother with everything, the good, the bad and the indifferent. I enjoyed our Saturday lunches with the occasional expedition trip, or gathering the family for Sunday dinner. But something has changed. With this assignment my chosen goal was to learn to become a less defensive listener because I feel it will improve my relationship with my mother. To reach this destination I need to improve my active listening skills. I have a habit of speaking before fully listening to what he has to say. The part that puzzles me is why I have always been someone people confided in. I thought this made me an adequate listener. I'm a good judge of body language and can usually tell how someone is feeling. I enjoy listening to people as I try to help them find a solution to their problem. Typically, I can determine when someone has something more to convey than just the words spoken or when someone misinterprets the message I'm sending. The skills almost seem to diminish when I hear my mother speak. Through my research, I have found that there are several approaches that can help improve this situation. Some of the most basic approaches are simply listening. The key is to listen with complete attention, free from any distractions. Because we focus on what the other person is talking about and ask questions to ensure proper understanding, many of the problems can be avoided. Our society has... half the paper... made many mistakes in my life, but my daughter is the most important thing in the world to me, as all mothers feel about their children. It ended with a tearful scream, I can hurt you more. This is one of the reasons why I chose this topic because it is very important to me and my daughter. I don't want my daughter to grow up with images of me and my mother treating each other this way. Works Cited Anderson, Julie. “Developing Active Listening Skills: Can You Hear Me Now? How Effective Communication Will Improve Your Career.” IDEA Fitness Journal (2008): 85.Circle, David. "Relations". Journal of Music Education January 2006: 4. Journal.Goulston, Dr. Mark. Just listen. Broadway, New York: AMACON Books, 2010. Whitbourne, Susan Krauss. “Accomplishment at any age.” March 13, 2012. Psychologytoday.com. Article on the Internet. February 2 2014.