“To listen requires not only attention, but awareness of our intention toward the other person. If we are feeling attacked, then we don’t want to hear the other person. We want to attack back or defend ourselves. When this happens, we must be aware of it and acknowledge what is happening. To try to listen when we are feeling attacked is foolish. There is no way that we can do it. Better to bring the issue up directly and say ‘I would really like to hear what you are saying, but I can feel myself turning off. Can we both take a moment to check out where we are coming from and if we really want to be doing this now?’
Better to call “time out” than to engage in attack and defense. Better to come back when we are not tired, or cranky, or defensive, than to try to listen when we are. Listening takes energy and attention. It takes receptivity to and compassion for the other person. When these qualities are not present in our consciousness, we should not be trying to listen. Nor should we be trying to speak to another person.”
Paul Ferrini, in “The Ecstatic Moment”
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Jeff Maziarek, author of Spirituality Simplified and Codi’s Journey, launched Pondercentral.com in April 2007 as a Web-based forum for “PONDER on THIS,” a series of weekday inspirational email messages he began sending to subscribers in March 1999. A FREE service since its inception, “PONDER on THIS” provides subscribers with meaningful content to assist them on their individual paths of spiritual growth. In addition, it benefits subscribers, authors, and publishers by including links to Amazon.com where subscribers can learn more about the book being quoted, and also purchase it.
