A CONSCIOUS LIVING PRACTICE FOR TODAY – MAY 26

I am a part of all that I have met.
— Alfred Lord Tennyson

INTENTIONS BEHIND SPEAKING AND LISTENING

Every word you speak has an intention behind and beneath it. If you say something simple like, “How are you?” to a friend, you may have the intention of actually learning something about the person’s emotional depths. If you say, “How are you?” to a person you hardly know, you may only have the intention of being polite. You may not actually want to know how the person really is. It’s the intention behind the word that’s important The same is true for listening. Every moment of listening has an intention behind it. In one case you may be listening with the intention of rebutting the other person. In another case you’re listening to get the person to like you. The intention beneath your listening is the real issue—each persons listening is as different as a thumbprint.

A CONSCIOUS LIVING PRACTICE FOR TODAY – MAY 26

Today focus on being aware of the shifting intentions behind your speaking and listening. Notice, for example, when you’re “listening to criticize” versus “listening to support.” Notice when you’re “speaking to open possibilities” versus “speaking to be right.”

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