“O, wad some Pow’r the giftie gie us To see oursels as ithers see us!” Robert Burns PHIL: Maude met with someone from her past who reminisced about how he remembered her, and this blew Maude’s mind because her recollection …
MAUDE: Pay attention! Listen! These seem like rather simple admonishments. And yet, so many of us find it very challenging to do so. Listening to others with an open heart and full attention seems to have become almost a lost …
How Attentive Listening Strengthens Your Relationships Read more »
This blog describes the experience of listening to another person with an effortless attention; without any judgment or comments on what is being shared. It is taken in for its deep value, as one heart speaking to another.
We do well with deep listening and lack of interruptions when consciously working to solve something. And yet in day to day conversations we encounter a different behavior. Not only do we burst into each other’s talking, but we each point out the other is doing it and feel irritated.
Maude is still away with her friend this week, so I’m writing about relationships. I want to start by describing how humans work and how we got this way. In earlier species, the brain was the receiver of senses and …
Why It’s Important to be Aware of Words and Emotions in Your Relationships Read more »
When you have an initial negative reaction to other people, move closer to an attitude of embracing them as a first response. This is the way of acceptance, non-judgment and the joyful appreciation of what others have to say and how they express it.
You can move towards the goal of creating peaceful relationships through a firm belief in the possibility and a clear intention to do so, especially with those with whom you share matching core values. You are also able, by working on yourself, to greatly affect the dynamic of any interaction.
MAUDE: I attend two regular Zoom groups where in the beginning of the session the moderator gives a short recap of the rules for the discussion. Basically, we are reminded that we are just listening, not debating, not fixing, not …
How Listening Without Giving Advice is Good For Your Relationships Read more »
PHIL: Listening. We think that if we hear all the words, we are listening, but what happens is that the words fire off all kinds of thoughts in our head – responses, word associations, old feelings – and this can …
The Importance of Learning How to Truly Listen in Your Relationships Read more »
PHIL: We just watched a documentary on fungi and how the mycelium acts as connections, allowing a strong tree to supply nutrients to a weaker tree. Such mutuality is found everywhere. Bees need flowers just as much as flowers need …
Support Peace in the World by Expanding Your Circle of Trust Read more »