Listening

I've recently thought much about listening. Really listening. I see this as different from "hearing." With listening, you set aside your ego and your agenda. It's not about you; it's about the person to whom you're listening. In doing so, you listen with your whole body--your mind, your heart, your eyes. It's quite a gift to give someone.

Yet there are so many distractions from listening. Maybe you're tired or you disagree or you'd make different choices or your own emotional issues get tapped. So many ways in which the listener gets off track. Active, compassionate listening is difficult, yet it's an integral part of healthy relationships and a healthy community. It's hard and so we push it off as unimportant. We place "speaking" on a pedestal (public speaking, for example), and yet we don't acknowledge or train listening. Hmmm.

And the listening applies not just to other people, but also (perhaps most importantly?) to yourself. Listening to your authentic voice (not that negative-voice or societal-pressure-voice); listening to your body; listening to your emotions; listening to your heart.

Wow. This is complicated stuff, but very powerful. Perhaps we can all spend a little more time listening. Experiment with the power of the pause and of the sacred gift of really listening. And please let me know what you think. (I'm listening. :))

For even more thought-provoking words on the art of listening, you can read excerpts from a lovely essay by Brenda Ueland: Tell Me More

Spring!

There's been a long drought on my blog. The truth: I've pushed too hard, worked too much, felt uninspired, let the negative-voice-in-my head make my choices, been afraid to make mistakes or try new things; basically, I've stayed on the safe (habitual), yet painful path of the daily-grind treadmill. Ugh!

So to mix things up, I unplugged last week. Once I turned my grades in last Monday at 5pm, I went off-campus, off email, and off the Internet (for a week!). I had a relaxing, creative, enjoyable vacation at home. I read books, thought about my soon-to-be container garden, watched movies, had date-nights with my husband, ran at High Cliff (rather than my usual in-town route), laid on the couch, relaxed with dear friends over excellent food and drinks, wrote in my journal. I went through some highs (e.g., laughter and drinks with loved ones) and lows (e.g., working with some difficult, raw emotional stuff). But that's life. Basically, I allowed life to happen; to unfold in its own (sometimes fun, sometimes difficult) way. Quite an eye-opening experience.

Spring is here. Really, I declare it. I don't care if it gets cold again or even if we get more snow. Spring is here, in my heart. We've made it through the long winter (for me, it felt particularly--emotionally--long this year). Now it's time to celebrate. To live. To enjoy.

I send you all warm spring wishes: flowers, sunshine, new beginnings, space for exploration and creativity, sounds and smells of nature, and permission to take an afternoon (or two or three!) off. Happy spring to y'all. I hope to blog atcha more often.