At Issue Ben Merens

Empathic listening is something I developed with your help as a way to see each other in order to truly hear them.
I practiced this on air while I hosted public radio for the past 20 years and it is something that I believe helped build the connection between myself and my listeners - whether they were calling in and sharing their thoughts, or just listening while on their commute.
It also goes hand in hand with what I call the Theory of Four Faces. That is, we all have four faces that we show and that others can see in us: our six year old face, the face of wisdom, the face of happiness, and the face of character.
Listen to what these faces are and let me know what you think by emailing me at Ben@BenMerens.com.

You get out of life what you put in.
To help people get the most out of their lives, I've made a list of life advice tips that I found extremely helpful. This list was once published in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. It is something I share with my students when I teach at the local college. And now, it is something I want to share with you.
These are the pieces of life advice I live by, and I hope they can be as useful to you as they are to me.
They are:
Don't rush through your life
Be kind to everyone
Don't ignore your gut instinct
Everything in moderation
Work hard, play harder
There are no wrong decisions
Cherish what is in front of you
People are more important than things
Be most patient with your loved ones
Spend time with your kids
Aim to die healthy
Move everyday
Learning is a daily experience
What do you think about this life advice? What would you add? What would you change?
Let me know by dropping me a line at Ben@BenMerens.com and in a later episode, I will share your advice on this show.
I look forward to hearing from you.

Hello, I'm Ben Merens and this is At Issue.
This is a forum for sharing thoughts and opinions on the topics most important to you.
In my 20 years hosting At Issue on Wisconsin Public Radio, I've heard stories from so many of you about everything from politics to profound life lessons. This time around we'll do At Issue a little differently than we used to.
This show is still designed to eventually have guests and take your calls, but until we get to that point, I would like to hear from you via email or letters. You can reach me at Ben@BenMerens.com to share what is at issue in your life.
I'm glad to be back behind the microphone and can't wait to hear from you.
In the meantime, how have you been? Listen below to hear what I've been doing this past year.