2 Thoughts

This is what I have been pondering lately:  Everyone wants to be heard. We all want to have our humanity acknowledged – to have others see us for who we truly are. We all want to know that we are valued, we are heard, we are understood.  I think one of the kindest things you can ever do is to sit across from someone and utter two little words: "Tell me."  One of my favorite quotes from Oprah Winfrey is, "Every human being, no mater what age, no matter how old we get is looking for the same thing. What everybody wants is to know:  Do you see me? Did you hear me? And did what I say mean anything to you? That is what everybody is looking for."  This is a profound concept to me.  In this age of technology and fast-paced everything, it is incredibly easy to forget to take the time to really "see" a person when we come in contact with them.  It is so effortless to see life only through our own colored lenses without regard to another person's life experiences.  When I hear myself thinking,  "I can't believe what that person did or said",  I try and catch myself and wonder what perhaps brought them to that point in their life.  I really want to strive to do this better with my children, my husband, my friends, but also with the random person at the check out counter at Target, or at a fast food drive through.  I have been amazed at the light that appears in someone's eyes when I make eye contact with them during a seemingly insignificant event and genuinely see them as a child of God, a person with dreams, struggles, and a story.  Everyone has a story to tell and something that we can learn from.  My husband Robert is gifted at listening and hearing others.  It is like water to my soul to simply be acknowledged and truly heard by him, without judgments, in my worries and frustrations.  Listening with your whole soul and seeing someone as a fellow spirit, travailing through this life is a gift to them, and to you.


The second thought was introduced to me many years ago, and it is the concept of listening intently to your internal dialogue.  This can be a fascinating exercise and shed tremendous light on your attitudes and moods.  Are your usual subconscious thoughts things like, "I'm not a good mother", or "I am always falling short" or "I'm ugly or fat"?  Or are they things like "I like my life", "I did a great job with that!" or "I am a good person"?  I often think of the truth of this statement:  “We are shaped by our thoughts; we become what we think."  (Buddha)  There is immense power in thought.  We sometimes are not even aware of the complete nature of our free agency when we are not conscious of how our own thoughts are shaping our actions and reactions.  Try listening to your internal dialogue for a day and see what you find out about yourself.  You may be surprised!