"Silence is a source of great strength." Lao-Tzu
"If speaking is silver, then listening is gold." Turkish Proverb
"You cannot truly listen to anyone and do anything else at the same time." Scott M. Peck
"Who speaks, sows; Who listens, reaps." Argentine Proverb
There are many ways to say it...there is great power in listening. There is power in listening in a conversation, truly listening not thinking of what to say next, but being fully present to what someone is sharing, whether it is a family member, friend or co-worker. I daily find myself asking "what did you say" or "could you repeat that". The skill of listening is truly that a skill, one that requires attention and constant practice. Challenge yourself today to listen a little deeper and see what your world reveals.
There is also power in listening to oneself, whether journaling, meditating, praying out loud, heck I have even audio recorded myself just talking off the cuff on a thought. When we really listen to ourselves we can really understand and know what we believe, not from an intellectual space, but what is deep below the surface in our subconscious. Create some sort of space for yourself this week a couple of times to listen to yourself, meditate and do your best not to edit what you think, just listen and observe your thoughts. Take 5 minutes to journal on "The greatest joy in my life right now is..." and see what comes to light.
Find somone to partner with and ask them to share something dear to their heart, you could have them share from the statement above "The greatest joy in my life right now is..." and really listen. When they are complete, reflect back to them what you heard and listen again to their feedback on your listening ability. There is nothing right or wrong about this practice, it is simply an awareness exercise.
One of the greatest gifts anyone can give another is the gift of listening. I truly believe that is one of the gifts I am called to give in my counseling practice. Give yourself the gift of being heard and book a session with me today!
Love, Light & Laughter,
Darrell
Thursday, July 5, 2012
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