Ear power!!!!

When your shoulder hurts, do you ignore it? Or do you pause to figure out what might be causing the pain and how you might repair the difficulty?

When you feel lonely, do you deprecate yourself for feeling that way, or do you aim to figure out what you might do to alleviate the loneliness?

When those around you share their concerns, distresses and vulnerable feelings with you, do you listen to understand? Or do you brush their words aside as burdensome inconveniences, dismissively label their concerns ‘foolish’ or ‘stupid,’ or negate what you heard with “But…” and explain what is wrong with those thoughts?

Listen with genuine interest to your own quiet inner voice and to others’ in order to understand. Listen to share others’ sorrows and to celebrate their joys. Listen to learn from others when their viewpoints differ from yours . Listening is loving.