On true listening:
One of the greatest gifts we can give another is true listening. To listen without an agenda, listen without planning what we want to say in response or waiting get our opinion in. When we feel truly heard, our intuition and inner wisdom is even more likely to blossom in such rich soil. We feel received, nurtured by the careful attention another bestows upon us.
I feel extremely blessed to have a few precious people in my life what are able to sustain that quality of listening. I wish to honor one of them today. I meet her in Austria in 1990 when I was living there. Her friendship has blessed me in so many ways. Today I was chewing on a false appearance. “It appears as though…” since I took action toward fulfilling my commitment to radical honesty a few people have pulled away from me. Since my commitment to holy relationship, that pulling away triggered an old limiting belief that if I allow myself to shine, if I am truly myself, honest, not willing to push away the things that create a gap of separation within me, share my inner world, people will leave me. Since two people just did, I am tempted to believe that falsehood despite knowing “reality” will shape-shift to accommodate what I declare. My beloved friend Uschi listened to me with such powerful Presence that I could feel the limitation begin to drop away. I felt my commitment to Truth and radical honesty become strong enough to move beyond eons of warnings that I am a dreamer, that my vision is not meant for this world, that I should let go of my commitment to avoid getting hurt. Her attention and intention caressed me with our long history of friendship and support. I felt so incredibly heard in a way that seems all too rare. I felt as though I had been given a most precious gift. I felt strengthened in my ability to hold my true knowing, to keep my vision of intimacy and holy relationship alive within me, regardless of the appearance that in too many ways it is not folding as hoped. It helped me to see that whenever I unleash a vow into the Universe, all that is unlike that intent MUST surface for integration and homecoming. It helped give me the courage to sustain my commitment, come what may, to look past false appearance, to maintain my Trust. I bow dear friend. I am indeed blessed.
