To listen with an open mind and heart is an invaluable skill that takes time and effort to develop.
~ Allan Lokos
Listen. There are so many things to hear in our world. I am always soothed by the sounds I witness in the early morning on my dock and walks in the neighborhood. A multitude of singing birds. Fish jumping. Frogs croaking. Dolphins blowing. The train whistling. The rain. The wind. And if the conditions are right, the ocean waves. And yes, the stillness inside of me. How often do you take the time to actively listen to what is happening around you? Turn off the tv, the phone, the music, the game, the podcast and listen. The whole world is speaking to you. Soak it up and savor the sounds. Some of them are truly magical. Even the hustle and bustle of city streets to the serene sounds of a forest. When you let yourself listen, you might open yourself up to new discoveries. About your surroundings, and even yourself. Bring these sounds into your heart. Let them sing their own song to you. Smile as you sincerely listen to what's going on around you. Let the gratefulness for all that sings and speaks to you warm your heart. Feel the sense of what is really important in your own world. I try to do this every time I am outside. I find I am more connected to nature that way, and to myself. Somedays I opt to not have my music playing in the background in the house. I start to notice the creaks, groans and workings of the house – and Caylee the Zen Puppy's dream barks during her naps. I wonder what she is hearing? When I listen to the 'everydayness' around me, it settles my mind. Gives me somewhere to go outside of my never-ending thought maze. Calms me. This 'environment listening' merges into our 'conversational listening' as well. Pay attention to how you listen to others. Just listen. Don't plan your reply or next comment. Don't think about how to jump in, or override, or correct, or what you would rather be doing. Just listen. Hear what others have to say before you react. Understand them. Ask questions to clarify. Concentrate on their words. Focus on their feelings as they speak, as well as their body language and eye movements for more clues on what they are really saying. The art of listening entails all of this, and it requires a dedicated effort to work on. I know I am far from mastering this art, but I do try to pay attention most times as I am settling into my Zen world. What happens when we truly listen during our conversations? We participate more fully. We can engage better. We put forth our care and concern. We make others feel like what they have to say matters. That they are valued. Compassion comes forth in genuinely listening and may be all the other person needs from us. When we listen intently, a deeper connection is made as we let others reveal themselves to us. I know, I know... this can be very challenging to say the least with some folks. They are the ones who seem to take over all of the conversing, all of the time! Simply remember we can still learn from them, and we can always practice on calming our own judging thoughts that arise. This is especially true when they forget about mastering their own listening skills and don't hear us, or jump in before we’ve had a chance to respond to their questions or tell them our own story. Patience and listening go hand in hand in these situations. Maybe what we had to tell them isn't that important after all, lol! As Alfred Brendel points out “the word listen contains the same letters as the word silent”. Be silent and listen to yourself too. When we focus and listen inward, sometimes we learn a great deal. This is how our soul, our spirit, our God speaks to us. This is where we can hear solutions to our problems. This is where we can hear of, and feel our love for ourselves and others. This is where we can ask ourselves questions and listen for the answer. Be silent and listen my friend, you might like what you hear. What are you listening to?
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