Tag Archives: Listen

Looking Down

9 Mar

There are all kinds of people in the world with all kinds of cultures and ideas. We’re all different and our choices are unique to each of us. Because of our differences, there is sometimes conflict and we might think the world would be better if we were all the same. Well, it might be easier if everyone was on the same page all the time, but there would be no way to grow, and boredom would be constant. It would be like going to Disneyland and all the rides are exactly the same. It’s easy to spend time with others who share our values and opinions, but there will always be someone in our circle we disagree with. If the differences are hard for us to understand, we may think they’re odd and beneath what we’re doing. We can look down on anyone we like, but being different does not mean being less. Chocolate ice cream is very different from vanilla, but they are both delicious. The world is a big, busy place and there is no way to completely insulate ourselves from others who are different that we are. Nobody will ever be exactly like us and there is nothing to be gained by judging those with other expressions. They aren’t dumb or stupid – they are just different than we’re accustomed to. Instead of judging what we may not understand, it’s better to accept others for who they are. We don’t have to adopt their point of view, we don’t have to follow their lead, and we don’t have to change our lives to fit anyone else’s narrative. The old saying, “Live and let live,” is the best approach. We are intelligent and highly capable of managing any situation that comes. Life is full of variety, and we can be welcoming even when we don’t agree, and find enrichment in contrasting viewpoints. 

Some people are very confident and sure of themselves. They may believe they have all the right answers and anyone who disagrees just doesn’t understand the issue. If we don’t follow their line of thinking, they may criticize and ridicule us in an effort to get us to follow along. It can be difficult to deal with them, and hard to be patient if we must. No matter what anyone else is doing, we always have the power to choose our own way. Nobody is in control of our lives but us. There are many roads to every destination. We can go left when they go right, and still find our way to the goal.

Family pressures and cultural influences may be strong. When we’re young it’s easy to go along with whatever our parents are doing and what’s happening around us. But as we mature, we develop our own ideas about what we want to do and how things should go. Our ideas are important and our choices are ours to make. Just because something has been done one way for a long time doesn’t mean we have to continue on the same road. We know who we are and what we want, and with courage and determination, can live our lives exactly the way we desire.

Today if you’re dealing with someone very different from you, whose ideas and choices are foreign, remember we’re all unique. You can choose any road you want to travel. You know where you want to go and already have everything you need to reach any destination you desire. Decide how you want to proceed and begin your journey. Nothing can keep you from success.  The whole world is there for you.

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Taking Time

27 Jun

When we’ve been through a seriously painful event, we may suffer greatly. The death of a loved one, a terrible and difficult break-up of a relationship, or a personal and deep betrayal from someone we trusted, may bring us intense sorrow and serious anguish. It takes time to process painful and difficult changes and find a way to manage them. Pain and grief have their own timetables, and how long it takes us to adjust to our new reality is different for every person and every situation. It’s impossible to predict how long it will take until we feel settled again. Nobody wants to suffer for a long time but there are no rules for coping with grief and sadness. We must take things as they come and do our best to continue forward each day. We can always control what we do but we can’t always control how we feel. Recovery will take the time it takes, but no matter how hurt we are or how desperate things may seem, healing will come. Change is constant and nothing can stay the same forever, not even suffering. If we’ve been struggling for a long time, we may feel we should be further down the road, but we are changing a little every day and in time, no matter how long that takes, we can overcome anything. Life is filled with unexpected developments and if we’ve been surprised by a painful and disappointing experience, we can trust that no matter how difficult it is today, we will find our way through. We’re stronger than we think we are and nothing is powerful enough to overcome us. Every blessing is still there for us and we will find peace and happiness again.

Heartbreak comes in many forms. When we’ve been heartbroken, no matter what the circumstances are, we can find our way through in our own way and in our own time. There is no need to rush and we can take all the time necessary until we feel whole again. Nobody knows our deepest sorrows better than we do, and we can move forward one step at a time. Being patient and allowing time to find our footing again will enable us to heal and proceed again with confidence. Life is filled with all kinds of experiences, and no matter what we’re facing, we have everything we need to prevail.

Some people may try to push us forward in an effort to alleviate our suffering. They may make all kinds of suggestions or give us advice about how to let go and move forward. We can listen to whatever they offer, but we know what we need and can trust ourselves to find our next steps. Pain gives us patience, and we learn how resilient and strong we are as we navigate through it and continue forward. We are powerful and capable, and nothing can hold us down forever. We already have everything we need to prevail and find all the answers.

Today if you’ve been through a serious and painful event, and feel lost and frozen in place, give yourself time to think and rest. There’s no rush to get through. Stand still until you feel ready to move forward again. You are strong and wise, and nothing will overcome you. Trust yourself and take another step forward. Every dream is still there, every blessing is possible, and you will prevail.

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Listening and Hearing

31 Jan

In our personal conversations, sometimes what we’re listening to isn’t the full meaning of what is being said. We can listen and listen and still miss the message. There are a lot of distractions, sometimes our personal opinions color what we’re hearing and sometimes we only hear part of the information being communicated. There is a big difference between listening to someone and really hearing what they are saying. Although we may hear the words it may take a while to fully understand what they mean. People are complex and if the message is difficult or painful they may color it with words that muddle the situation. If we want to understand anything and make good decisions, we need all the information. If the message is confusing we can take it apart, ponder it, and get to the truth. Even in complicated situations if we are careful we can hear what’s really being said and then take the time we need to understand the full message. Knowing the complete truth of any situation helps us navigate it more successfully. We can be clear on the message by not only listening but really taking the time to hear it.

Some people talk in circles. They struggle to speak clearly and may go around and around an issue. Perhaps they have an unclear understanding of the message or are intimidated by it and afraid of speaking too plainly. When we encounter these situations, we may get lost as they go here and there, speaking around the information they are trying to relay. We may ask for details but often we must rely on our ability to discern the true message and extrapolate the real meaning behind the conversation. No matter how confusing the story may seem at first, if we take time to think about what’s being said we can find the answers. Once we decide we know what the real message is we may ask for clarification and verify our conclusions.

There may be times when someone speaks to us in ways that are confusing because they are trying to accomplish something and don’t want others to know. Maybe they feel they need to share part of the story but don’t want to give all the details. If they have an agenda that is dishonest or in some way will impact us negatively their words may be convoluted and confounding. If they will not clarify the message we need to find the answers on our own. We don’t have to blindly follow something we are unsure of and we can do what is needed to fully understand any situation before proceeding. We can listen and then discern truth to fully hear what is being said. We are capable of understanding many things and if we are careful we can move forward confident we know the full story.

Today if you’re confused by something that is being said and are struggling to understand, take the time to really hear the message. You are an excellent listener. You will find the truth and the way forward with confidence. There isn’t anything you can’t comprehend. Be confident and be wise. The answers are there for you and you will find them.

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Pink Slip

12 Jan

As we go through our lives we meet all kinds of different people. Some are acquaintances with whom we have little contact, some we only see in passing, and some become our friends. Having friends is a great support and it can be fun to share our lives with them. When we have close friends, we feel connected, but sometimes we may find ourselves in situations where we have a friendship with someone who turns out to have a negative impact on our lives. Maybe they aren’t honest with us, or manipulate us, or pretend to like us but gossip about us to others. If we share intimate details of our lives with them and they aren’t trustworthy, we may face complications because of our connection with them. When we realize someone we thought was a trusted friend isn’t someone we want to share our lives with, we may disconnect and move forward without them. It’s not easy to think about firing our friends, but if we find the relationship is impacting us negatively, we may end our interactions with them. It can be hard to face the end of any relationship but our lives are important and our happiness is our responsibility. If we’re tangled in a relationship that’s hurting us, we can let it go. We can make choices that bring us comfort and security, and we can move forward any way we choose.

We base our understanding of situations on what we see, what we hear, and what we perceive to be the truth. If everyone in our lives was honest and open about their plans and ideas, it would be easy to discern what is real going forward. Unfortunately, some people have personal agendas that involve secrecy and manipulation. If they are adept at fooling others and we’re involved with them, we may get caught up in a situation that hurts us. Our lives are ours and we may design them in the best way possible. We don’t have to remain in situations that impact us negatively. We can change our course and move forward another way.

Sometimes when we try to step away from a relationship, others may offer plausible excuses for why things have happened, or why we were treated dishonestly. We can listen to any explanations we like and still trust what’s best for us. Even if the one who hurt us promises to change, we may move forward a different way. We can choose what’s best for us in all our dealings. We have all the wisdom we need to make the best choices and we can adjust our path at any time. Happiness is always available to us. We can make decisions that will bring more of it into our lives.

Today if you need to change a relationship with someone be wise and make the best choices going forward. You deserve the very best of everything. You don’t need to remain in any situation that hurts you and you can choose to go another way. Make the finest decisions possible to bring happiness into your life. You already know what’s best for you. Today decide to do what is needed to gain it, and move forward with confidence.

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Dirt Roads

30 Mar

When we travel through rural areas we sometimes need to take dirt roads to get to our destination. Because they are rough and unpaved, they may have potholes, brambles, rocks and other things we have to navigate around. Just being dirt they are subject to damage from wind, rain, or snow, and can become quite pitted and difficult to traverse. After driving on them for a while it’s always nice to get back to pavement and smooth roads again. Pavement isn’t something we generally focus on or give much thought to. We drive around on it, and take it for granted. But pavement is a great blessing. It helps us get to our destinations quickly and safely, and the ride is more enjoyable than it would be without it. When we’re navigating difficult situations in our personal lives and the road is bumpy and hard to get over, we can do things to make it smoother and easier to travel. We do that by seeing things clearly and preparing ourselves for what comes next. We can’t do anything about what has passed, and we’re already in the moment, but we can think about the next best step and prepare ourselves for it. If we take the time to analyze the situation, and make a plan for our next move, it’s like laying down pavement for the road forward. Thinking ahead and preparing our way makes the journey less stressful and helps us move along more quickly.

Nobody can read the future but we can decide where we want our path to go. If we’re in a situation that is difficult and there are others involved it’s important to understand the issues clearly so we know how to move forward. We can listen when they express their ideas, and take time to comprehend their concerns. Then we can look at everything objectively and determine what to do next. Taking the time to look and listen and really see the whole issue will open our eyes to all the possibilities before us. When we see the entire picture we can often see what we need to do to move forward. Once we determine what our next step should be we can put things in motion to make it happen. Success doesn’t usually just happen to us. We need to plan for it. And we can do that by preparing the way forward.

We can pave the road for our personal dreams and aspirations as well. If we want to learn something but haven’t found time to get to it, we can make it a part of our daily schedule and commit to making it a priority. If we want to change something about ourselves but haven’t taken the first step, we can get a coach or involve a trusted friend as a support to help us focus. If we want to do something new and don’t have the skills to make it happen, we can find a teacher who will show us how. There isn’t anything we can’t do. But we must decide what we want, and where we want to go. And then we can start laying down the foundation that will help us get there. Step by step, mile by mile, will take us closer. Every destination is possible. Nothing is out of reach.

Today if you’re navigating a difficult situation take some time to look and listen. See everything as it is and then decide the best way forward. If there is a destination you’ve been wanting to reach but haven’t yet started the journey, plot a course and begin. Pave the way by planning and preparing. There isn’t anything you can’t do. You have everything you need. The road is there waiting for you.

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