As you go through this week notice how you listen not just to others but also to yourself and to the whole world. Do you listen with your mind, your heart or is it your whole being?
If you are listening with your mind you are trying to process information intellectually, analyzing, deciphering, planning, and maybe taking specific direct action. If you are listening with your heart, you might connect with the pain of the other person and find yourself being kinder and more compassionate with them, wanting to do something to relieve their suffering. If it is with your whole being you are mentally processing information, emotionally feeling the pain of another and you want to do anything in your power to help relieve their suffering. Let yourself be aware and be mindful on how you listen in your daily activities with others. You may also find how you listen can change daily and on a person -to-person basis. Be mindful.
As you listen to yourself, be aware, are you listening only with your mind therefore ignoring or avoiding your emotions and feelings or can you be kind to yourself, understanding and forgiving? Can you open your heart to yourself? Be aware of this listening process of yourself as you think, feel and act in this world.
Then become aware of how you listen to the world. Do you experience moments of compassion, empathy and oneness with total strangers? Do you recognize the humanity in all people and realize that regardless of sex, race, ethnicity or religious belief, the one thing we have in common is we all want to be safe and happy?
This is an exercise on how we listen, if it is with our mind, our heart or our whole being but not one way is the only way. It is up to each one of us to decide which will serve us best and to also remember we always have a choice.
