Why is it we forget the power of our words? Is it because we are too preoccupied with the craziness of our world to take the time to hear what comes out of our mouth? Do we stop to listen to our thoughts? Seems odd but our thoughts create our words. If our thoughts go unchecked so will our words.
Some would say the reason we have two ears and one mouth is to listen twice as much as we speak. Yet it takes practice and awareness to slow down enough to listen. Many times our mouth is moving, yet nothing of value is being said.
When we listen we are turning our attention on what is being said, not on what we are going to say next. How often has someone interrupted us thinking they know what we are about to say, yet they get it all wrong. They failed to listen to our complete thought, assuming they know best.
We must become aware of our words, but we also must be aware of the words others are saying. At times we are too excited to wait for a speaker to finish, so we jump right in. When this happens we may lose the meaning of the speakers intention.
The difficult thing about listening is we need to slow the chatter in our own mind to hear clearly. Oftentimes we rush to a conclusion, because we can’t wait to speak. We want to be heard, thinking that by speaking we will be liked and feel a sense of approval from those in the conversation.
Listening takes practice. No one wants to be seen as someone who lacks intelligence. We believe that by talking all the time others will think we are smart. But oftentimes the opposite ends up happening. Although we may be experts in our field of study, we can learn much from others when we listen.
It’s not easy. The world is fast paced, things happen quickly. With cellphones, texts, emails, and social media, we want to get our two cents out to the world. But do we have to be the center of attention all the time? When we talk too much that is what we are doing, working to get ourselves in front of as many people as possible.
When we choose to listen, really listen, we arrive in the present moment. By listening with our full attention, we can be nowhere else but in the here and now. My mind during my morning meditation can be a very noisy place.
One way to overcome this is to listen, focusing on my breathing, the wind against the window, maybe I can feel my heart beating. The thing is to try to be so focused on listening, I find silence in my mind. Seems counterintuitive, but it’s worth a try.
All of us want to be heard, yet for some reason we think that talking endlessly will make our voices heard. But to really be a part of a conversation we must learn to listen with our full attention. This way we connect with others in the conversation and it is not lopsided, focusing solely on ourselves.
Being a good listener begins with listening to ourselves, as if we are a fly on the wall hearing our own voice. What do we hear? Are our words relevant? Do these words bring harm or joy to others? We may never know if we are always the chatterbox in the crowd.
A final note. When we speak we are just repeating what we already know. When we listen we have an opportunity to learn many lessons that might benefit us in the future. But it all starts with learning to listen.
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Can we stop talking long enough to listen? Let me know what you think. Leave a question, or comment below. I’m always listening for your point of view.
Each week I email an article to those who have subscribed to my weekly. This week I wrote about crossing the threshold into the unknown if we want to live to the fullness of who we are. Here is an excerpt.
The unknown only appears dark and lonely from the outside looking in. Once we make the commitment to live our authentic life, everything begins to fall into place. We will still make mistakes, still fail, but we are now aware of the valuable lessons these experiences hold.
If you would like to receive these weekly articles, scroll to the very bottom of the page where you will find a place to subscribe.
Book update. My latest book, Abundance to Zen: Wisdom for a Fulfilling Life, is now in the hands of the digital formatters. They make a digital file of the book so when I upload it everything looks as it should, plus they format the eBook. My intention is to have it available for sale in early May.
We always have a thought-provoking discussion at the book club. We took a deep dive into my award winning book, “A Complete Life, Discovering Your Authentic Self.” We meet on Saturday March 2nd, 16th, 23rd, and April 13th, from 1:30 to 3:00pm at A Little Bit of Kindness, in Sierra Vista AZ. It would be great to see you there. For more information, or to purchase a copy of the book before our gathering, contact me or A Little Bit of Kindness.
https://www.paulhudonauthor.com https://www.alittlebitofkindness.org/
On March 30th I’ll be selling and signing books at the Holistic Healing and Psychic Faire in Bisbee, AZ. The event will be held at the Kilimanjaro Center, 33 Subway Street, between 10:00am and 4:00pm.
There’ll be healers, readers, and vendors selling jewelry, crystals, and books, among other items. It’s always a good time to meet and talk with like-minded people. Hope to see you there. Sponsored by A Little Bit of Kindness. For more information, visit https://www.paulhudonauthor.com or https://www.alittlebitofkindness.org/
If you are interested in purchasing a copy of my book, “Your Inner Guidance, The Path to Discovering Your True Happiness”, or my award winning book, “A Complete Life, Discovering Your Authentic Self,” click the link. https://linktr.ee/paulhudon
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It is with much gratitude I thank you for being a part of this wonderful adventure called life. I appreciate your support.
Peace and well-being, Paul
Copyright Paul Hudon 2024
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