I should listen with my heart instead of my ears

Our relationships vary from casual contacts, friends, to those very intimate and loving associations. For each of them, it is important that we actually hear in addition to listening. Listening with our heart includes active listening; we give the person our undivided attention to demonstrate the value we place on them and on their words and ideas; we actually participate using questions and comments to clarify our understanding. Listening with our heart implies that we try to recognize the importance of the conversation to the speaker—is it just idle talk or something that reflects a value, a sincere concern, or fear? Such loving actions also include empathic listening—seeking to understand the point-of-view, motivation and dreams underlying the spoken words; we try to recognize and acknowledge the feeling associated with what is being said. Listening with our heart takes more time, effort, and emotional investment than simply listening with our ears. But it is a key to opening extraordinary relationships with everyone I meet.

Prayer: My divine father-mother, source of my indwelling spirit, help me listen and actually hear with my heart and soul today. Make me aware of the importance of all my conversations at the moment they are happening; slow my mind and guide it to focus on the person speaking. Help me be more sensitive to discern the message from the speaker’s heart and not just the words from the lips; guide my response into loving, compassionate channels.

Take three relaxing breaths; ask your inner spirit to guide your meditation; reflect on the content, pausing for a few minutes in silence.