painting by Lin Jinfu (Jeff Lin)
Yesterday I talked about
using the rest of my time on earth
in the pursuit of helping others.
There are many ways I can do this.
One of the first things I can do for the people in my life
Is be a better listener.
When someone is speaking to me
I often catch myself thinking of what I will say
Or judging what they are saying
That's not listening fully
Because my focus is often on me and my thoughts
I need to give my full attention to the person talking to me.
I need to show attention
by having appropriate eye contact.
The eyes say more than words can ever express
Attending to the other person
Shows Respect and Care, Love and Compassion.
It seems like a little thing in the
Pursuit of making a better world
but it is a start
One person at a time
Then watch the ripples of change begin
~*~
“Listening is a gift of spiritual significance that you can learn to give to others. When you listen, you give one a sense of importance, hope and love that he or she may not receive any other way. Through listening, we nurture and validate the feelings one has, especially when he or she experiences difficulties in life.”
~H. Norman Wright
~*~
“Being heard
is so close to being loved
that for the average person,
they are almost indistinguishable.”
~David Augsburger
~*~
“People love to talk but hate to listen. Listening is not merely not talking, though even that is beyond most of our powers; it means taking a vigorous, human interest in what is being told us. You can listen like a blank wall or like a splendid auditorium where every sound comes back fuller and richer.”
~Alice Duer Miller
~*~
“I care about who you are, who you have been, who you want to be. I open myself to you to listen and learn about you. I cherish you, not just my fantasy of who you are, not just who I need you to be, but who you really are...”
~Betty Berzon
~*~
“Here's why I will be a good person. Because I listen. I cannot speak so I listen very well. I never interrupt, I never deflect the course of the conversation with a comment of my own. People, if you pay attention to them, change the direction of one another's conversations constantly. it's like having a passenger in your car who suddenly grabs the steering wheel and turns you down a side street.”
~Garth Stein
(The Art of Racing in the Rain)
~*~
Do your best to practice compassionate listening. Do not listen for the sole purpose of judging, criticizing, or analyzing. Listen only to help the other person express himself and find some relief from his suffering.
~Thich Nhat Hanh
~*~
Thich Nhat Hanh on Compassionate Listening
from SuperSoul Sunday with Oprah Winfrey
(runtime: 3 minutes 22 seconds)
(runtime: 3 minutes 22 seconds)
YouTube Direct Link: https://youtu.be/lyUxYflkhzo
~*~
If you would like to watch the full (37 minute) interview
You can watch it on YouTube at this address
Thich Nhat Hanh with Oprah Winfrey SuperSoul Sunday (Link)
I will place the link to this full interview
On the sidebar under 'Listen on YouTube"