Listening With The Heart

"Most people don't know how to listen because the major part of their attention is taken up by thinking.

They pay more attention to that than to what the other person is saying, and none at all to what really matters: the Being of the other person underneath the words and the mind."

Eckhart Tolle

Have you ever been listening to a friend who is trying to express something that they are going through, and instead of truly hearing what they are saying, you are focused on what your reply is going to be? Instead of being with them, you are lost in the mind, thinking about what your going to say when they finish talking? If we are honest, rarely, if ever, do we feel seen and heard when sharing our hearts with others, and more importantly, rarely are we actually present to someone else when they are sharing their hearts with us. Because most people are completely focused on what they want to say, it can leave most of us feeling that no one is listening at all!

Yet, bringing our open presence to someone, with a true capacity for listening, is the greatest gift we can bestow on them. It is also the greatest catalyst for healing in any relationship we are involved in. All that is required for this kind of deep listening is to be completely anchored in the present moment while we listen, as if hearing what is being said with every cell in our body. It also means putting aside the busy mind that is always one step ahead of what is being said; and instead bring our focus to our hearts, listening from a space of compassion and understanding. We let go of waiting for an opportunity to share our solutions and insights, and just relax with what is actually being said.

Actually being heard by another has the capacity to reveal the wisdom and direction we need to take in any challenge we are going through. In holding another person in our deep, non-judgemetal listening, we open a space for true relationship to flower and for healing to occur, while giving them the opportunity to discover the guidance and solutions that are always waiting for them within their own Being.