Listen

Today I am grateful for my oncologist and his patience in our medication discussion yesterday.  I am also grateful to have seen a friendly and familiar face, that of a nurse, who was such a kind and caring support in those first appointments I had after my cancer diagnosis.

LISTEN is today's word. I appreciate the medical professionals who listened to me yesterday and so many more over the years. I appreciate being heard. Who doesn't? Being heard requires two (or more) people taking the time for the task at hand: the speaker who is choosing his/her words and the listener(s) who are giving full attention to the speaker.

Listening is a crucial skill in any human interaction, starting with those closest to us but including anyone we encounter in a day. It is about respect, but so much more, including safety-emotional and physical. I fear listening skills are being eroded by our fast-paced days, the technology that pulls our attention away, the less and less face-to-face communication.

So I strive personally and professionally to be a good listener, in my physical stature as well as my mental focus. We all know what it feels like when someone is really listening to us. That's my goal.

A couple of phrases I often repeat on this topic are:

"Listen to what silence may teach us." 

"There's a reason why we have 2 ears and one mouth. So we can listen twice as much as we talk."

I try to apply these ongoing and incorporate them in to my interactions.

I also remember to listen to myself and trust what is coming through. Listen up! Today has much to offer.

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