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  1. Listen deeply. Try to understand where the speaker is coming from and why they are saying what they are saying.
  2. Be present. Give the speaker your undivided attention. Put down your phone, turn away from the screen, put away other thoughts. Your attention is a gift.
  3. Make an effort to understand. Communication is bi-directional. Try restating what you heard.
  4. Be non-judgmental (skillful). Dispense with assessing if you or they are right or wrong.
  5. Don’t make it personal. It’s not about you. It’s not about your identity. It’s about what you are each trying to accomplish.
  6. Exercise non-attachment. Recognize neither of you are what you say; there is no permanent self attached.

From Secular Buddhism with Noah Rasheta (#72 – Yanny or Laurel? A Lesson in Mindful Communication)