Welcome to The Daily Quote – a podcast designed to kickstart your day in a positive way. I'm your host, Andrew McGivern, for July 18th.

Today is World Listening Day. Now, I know what you’re thinking – “Do we really need a day just to listen?”

And yes, we absolutely do. World Listening Day is more than just a gentle nudge to stop talking over your co-workers on Zoom. Or your co-hosts on your podcast...It was created by the World Listening Project to raise awareness about the world of sound – how we perceive it, how it shapes our lives, and how paying attention to it can deepen our connection with the environment, with others, and even with ourselves.This day honors R. Murray Schafer, a composer and environmentalist who pioneered the field of acoustic ecology – basically the science of how sound interacts with our environment. It’s a day to pause, unplug, and just listen. Not scroll. Not refresh. Not interject. Just… listen.Listen to nature, listen to vehicle traffic, listen to other people.That brings us to today’s quote, from Stephen R. Covey, who once said.“Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply.”

Ouch... That one stings a little, doesn’t it?Covey, best known for his book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, isn’t just calling us out—he’s inviting us to slow down. Real listening isn’t just about nodding politely, while you wait for your turn to talk. It’s about being fully present, tuning into the emotions beneath the words, and actually caring about what’s being said. Imagine that.So today, whether you’re eavesdropping on the birds outside your window, or actually listening to your friend vent for the fifth time or five hundredth time about their job, try to take a moment to hear what’s really being said. The world’s making music all the time—you just have to stop rehearsing your next line long enough to hear it.That's going to do it for today. I'm Andrew McGivern signing off for now... but I'll be back tomorrow. Same Pod Time, Same Pod Station with another Daily Quote.