LISTEN

It is late and we just got home from watching the Olympics at the neighbor's house. It was neat to see athletes from all over the world all come together. The sad part was there was one of the Olympic athletes that was killed during one of the practices. I just wondered how his family handled the whole Opening Ceremony? I was glad to see that during part of the Opening Ceremony they honored him, and everyone had a moment of silence and prayers for him and his family. It was a bittersweet program.

My daughter sent me this tip today and I thought I would share it with you tonight.

Interesting tip for the day, is if you rearrange the word "silent" you get the word "listen".

 

How true it is... that listening is more than just being quiet.  So many times when I take the time out, to not only be quiet, but to tune in to what I need to be thinking about and feeling, those have been some of the most profound moments of my life. I really need to do that more often, with all the noises and things in the world screaming for our attention. It is vital that we take time out to not only be QUIET but time to LISTEN.

"THE FIRST DUTY OF LOVE IS TO LISTEN."  ~ Paul Tillich

"Listening is a magnetic and strange thing, a creative force...When we are listened to, it creates us, makes us unfold and expand. Ideas actually begin to grow within us and come to life...When we listen to people there is an alternating current, and this recharges us so that we never get tired of each other...and it is this little creative fountain inside us that begins to spring and cast up new thoughts and unexpected laughter and wisdom. ...Well, it is when people really listen to us, with quiet fascinated attention, that the little fountain begins to work again, to accelerate in the most surprising way." ~ Brenda Ueland