The mind is an amazing thing. It can carry on thousands of functions at the same time. Sometimes that’s good, and sometimes that’s not so good. For instance, when your mind thinks of someone or something else while your wife is talking to you… that’s bad! There you are, looking right at your wife while she’s pouring her heart out to you, and yet you’re thinking about something miles or weeks away.
What’s even more amazing than the mind’s capacity to wander is that your wife can tell when you’re not listening! How does she do that?! We men think we are so clever. We nod at what we think is the right moment. We even make approving noises at obvious intervals. And yet our wives still catch us with our minds somewhere else.
When you’re with your wife, especially if the two of you are alone, the loving thing to do is focus all your attention on her and be all there, both mentally and physically. This will take some concentration and effort on your part. For me, developing this kind of focused attention took some training. As a salesman I had to make myself focus on the person I was trying to sell. And your wife is much more important than “making a sale”! Train yourself to devote your full attention on your wife when you are with her. The results of being all there will be better than any salesman could imagine.
Read From Jim’s Heart—Being All There on Elizabeth & Jim George.