We place a premium on education. The more degrees someone has, then the brighter they must be, right? Well, maybe.

Over the course of my life I have met a lot of people. The mix of people I know includes Republicans, Democrats, atheists, Jews, Christians, Muslims and a few Hindus. I know people with multiple degrees and I know people who dropped out of school. Every single one of them had something to teach me. I learned by listening, not by talking.

Learning to actively listen has been invaluable for me. When we open our minds to different perspectives we can learn. There are eight billion people on the planet with eight billion different lives. Each of them brings unique experiences to the table. All should be considered even though no one is right all the time.

It costs nothing to listen. But the lessons we can learn are worth more than a degree. Learn to listen…