Dear Hearts, 

may this piece of writing light up your imagination of the art of listening, a tool of emotional intelligence, a communication skill that brings you self-awareness of communicating consciously with one another. Referring to an soul-opening session I listened to, created by Deepak Chopra. Artist and Author Khalil Gibran offers a valuable perspective: the reality of the other person is not in what the person reveals you, but in what the other person can not reveal to you. Therefore if you would understand the person and listen to not what the person says, but rather to what this person does not say. In our fast paced competitive world, many times the drive to be heard compels us to speak strategically and often. Our motivation in many cases is to be noticed, valued and hopefully accepted. Have you ever been so busy planning what you are going to say next? Or so eager to share your point of view that you missed what was being communicated to you? What if the key to transforming relationships is the simple act of listening? Are you willing to slow down? Trust? And truly receive the words of others?

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One of the most precious gifts we can give someone is to listen. To really listen. Likewise we can tell, when someone is truly listening and receiving our words. They don’t interrupt but wait patiently for us to finish what we are saying. They may also ask questions based on what we are saying. This let’s us know their minds are not thinking about something else, that they are genuinely engaged with our conversation. Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote, who you are speaks so loud I can’t hear the words you are saying. If we listen with our hearts we can feel the emotions behind the words that are being said or not being said. Sometimes people do not require a reply, they simply want to speak their truth that lives within. When we are committed to nurturing the speaker and listening intuitively we will know when to say something and when to simply receive their words. The greatest gift we can give another is to listen with a heart filled with love open without judgement and entirely present.

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We know that every sentient being on earth is interconnected at the deepest level possible. Therefore we are all mirrors for each other. When we are fully present with another person we are practicing a present moment awareness for ourselves. Gifts come in different forms. What we do know about giving is that it is on the same continuum as receiving. When we gift another person with our full attention, the gift will be returned to us by another and yet another. We transform our relationships when we listen with our ears, hearts and souls. As we nurture one another, as the bountiful universe nourishes us, our hearts will be happy and we will light up the universe with our gestures of love. And remember we can not see our reflection in running water, it is only in still water that we can see. Throughout daily practice of meditation we plant our intention to be the person we know we can be into the silent field of all possibilities. May we learn to be present with each other. Sylvia

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