Blog #64 The Art of Listening!

The key to the art of listening is selectivity. You stand guard at the ear-gateway to your mind, heart and spirit. You decide what you will accept.

Listen to the good. Tune your ears to love, hope, and courage. Tune out gossip, fear and resentment.

Listen to the beautiful. Relax to the music of the masters; listen to the symphony of nature- hum of the wind in the treetops, bird song, thundering surf.

Listen with your eyes. Imaginatively listen to the sounds in a poem, a novel, a picture.

Listen critically. Mentally challenge assertion, ideas, and philosophies. Seek the truth with an open mind.

Listen with patience. Do not hurry the other person. Show them the courtesy of listening to what they have to say, no matter how much you may disagree. You may learn something.

Listen with your heart. Practice empathy when you listen; put yourself in the other person’s place and try to hear his problems in your heart.

Listen for growth. Be an inquisitive listener. Ask questions. Everyone has something to say which will help you to grow.

Listen creatively. Listen carefully for ideas or the gems of ideas. Listen for hints of clues which will spark creative projects.

Listen to yourself. Listen to your deepest yearnings, your highest aspirations, and your noblest impulses. Listen to the better man/woman within you.

Listen with depth.

Be still and meditate.

Listen with the ear of intuition for the inspiration of the Infinite.

By Wilfred A. Peterson “The New Book of the Art of Living”

I love the book “The New Book of the Art of Living”. Growing up we had it on our coffee table and I would pick it up and ask for a message or guidance for that day, and open it to where I was guided to, and it always seemed to be exactly what I needed to hear or look at in my life. I would read it; and then whatever jumped out for me, I would take some time to go within and meditate on the information and would get even more insights and answer for myself. It was so easy, simple and so very powerful.

A few years ago I was guided to read one page, each day from a different book from my own personal library of books (six bookcases). Everyday picking one off the shelf and asking: “What is my guidance for today?” and opening the book to whatever page I am guided to and reading the page to get the insights I needed. It is so powerful and transforming and fun. Some of those books I had not opened since college. I got excited about reading some of those books from cover to cover again.

This week visiting my brother and his family was so wonderful and insightful. Listening to incredible stories of the past and also ones I had never even heard before. Looking at old pictures and communicating about what we have learn and how we have all grown in this life, and appreciating so very much my amazing family and all of their love and support and all they have shared with me through good times and challenging ones.

Our families, the ones we have and the ones we created, are such a gift of miracles all rolled into one! Cherish yourself and them!

Our answers are within and all arounds us, all we need to do is ask and listen.

A beautiful photo I took of a double rainbow over my back yard