Listening means to give one's attention to sound.......And initially for me that conjures up a thought of all of the music I listen to.....endlessly it seems.....I missed it this week some, having only pieces of the week that I could find time for music:) the sound of the waves replacing that for me.....but yesterday I caught up.....10 hours worth in the car.....it was a great ride....smooth and easy....no traffic......my kids are good travelers.....just chilling and going with the flow.....Mads gets a little car sick from time to time but it only happened early on briefly which was a blessing.....it feels good to be home......despite us having so much fun....to be typing my blog, on my computer, from my favorite chair, and settling back into our home.....the kids expressed as much too.....they were ready to be back in their lives too.....but I digress...... back to listening.....;-) ......I think I have gotten better at it.....at listening in all of its forms.....I used to struggle in conversation to listen as well as I should have because my brain would be processing and all over the place......I would lose focus......or think of a ton of things to share alongside what they were, or be so interested in what I was hearing, that it would set off a train of thought and distract me from the present and the person and conversation in front of me......and I still struggle sometimes.....but I have worked to be better at that.....being present in a conversation .....deeply listening to what somebody is saying, and trying to convey that I am listening......my coaching training helped me with that......helped me do better at pausing, when somebody pauses, and letting some air time hang before continuing.....however I still love to talk lol:) It is one of my favorite things.....conversation banter back and forth....I can't help it.......but I also like to listen now......and work hard at trying to be conscious of listening to people.....and extending that to my children.....holding space for it.......and have had some feedback to support that, which has been nice.....but I want to get even better at it.....there is no greater gift to give somebody than making them feel heard.........but listening is more than what happens between people.....it should also be taking place within us......we should be listening to ourselves.......and I was guilty for years of not listening to myself....or if I did shutting it down......dismissing it for the greater cause.....or what was the greater good in my mind......in my marriage, back down the road a voice whispered to me.....concerned about my marriage and it staying the course.....and I tried to listen to her wisdom......make some action based on her pleading.....but eventually shut her down and settled in......hoping for the best.....and well you get the rest.......I have learned so much in the last 2.5 years.....but one of the big things has been to listen.....to others....and myself.....to music.....to nature......to intuition.......to all of it..........we are souls.....having a human experience....and our soul knows the way.......but life is noisy, and busy, and complicated, and drowns out the desire of our hearts and souls........that is why meditation works.....or exercise, or hiking, or any activity that gets you quieter and filters out the background noise.......in learning to deeply listen to my soul, it has led me to so many new places and experiences......a good example, that I thought of yesterday on my drive, was Madeline's school putting out the call for a parent business owner to come and talk to the kids....and I immediately could hear my inner voice and soul say YES......a clear and loud YES.....and going and doing that led me to my business logo, very serendipitously........so that is what I am speaking to......getting to the point where you are listening......deeply enough that it leads you to all the places where you belong......It has been a powerful shift for me.....and I want to get better and better at it.....not seeking to respond.....just to hear and listen......I am sorry that I did not listen to my soul for all of those years......I enjoy her so much:) and am growing fonder each and every day......Today she is saying a quiet rainy day to reset is in order.....unpacking.....getting some groceries......grabbing a great workout, have missed my gym;-)..... watching movies, snuggling, and reading sounds perfect! Happy Sunday:)
jperuso
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