Do you think of hearing and listening as the same thing?
Hearing is the sense most closely connected to spirit, and hearing opens the way to listening.
Hearing is one way of listening to other people, the world around us, and our spirit guides. Hearing is how we perceive sound. Listening is paying close attention to what we hear. Feeling is a way we respond to listening. When we pick up a signal, it translates into a feeling. How are you feeling about what you are hearing? What do you hear when you listen?
Relative to spirit, when we are praying, we are talking. When we are meditating, we are listening. The significance is that we are not simply hearing something, but we are understanding it's meaning. Once we get the meaning, do we pay attention to it and act on it?
Listening can be tricky. Notice how when we are trying to work out a puzzle, we may think the answer is going one way, but then when we get another clue, we see both the clues and the answer in a different light, and our whole understanding of the question changes. Our every day communications are full of examples like this.
When we hear others, do we understand them correctly? Without that clarity, we start going down one path of perception and understanding, and then we realize that it was not what they intended. The more careful our listening, the better our understanding.
Quiet is the frequency when we are at home or in our private space, and listening has a different tone than when we are in a crowded place with lots of noise. This is why I always have clear quartz on my desk in my home office, or on the table with me when I am out reading at a party. It helps to focus listening and communicating more clearly.
Are you able to hear messages from spirit? Are you able to understand them? How clear is your perception when you listen for answers to tough questions? We all suffer at times from only hearing what we want to hear. Listening carefully helps us to become aware of nuances in the communication.
Sometimes when a person says something to us using terms we are not familiar with, we may disagree because of our different understandings of the words. Then when the terms are defined for us, that may be all it takes to reach agreement.
Listening is not always about hearing words. For example, do you listen to your body when it tells you it needs water or rest or that it has had enough to eat?
Do you listen when spirit advises you to learn more about something or avoid it?
Do we hear it when a change in weather suggests a change in plans for our day? It may be a sign from spirit that there may be something we need to do at home, rather than go out. At other times, the reverse. We might be getting a prompt to go out and do something rather than stay home.
Do we pick up on it when the same clues come from more than one person's words?
Notice how sometimes seeing a picture will prompt us to remember something? The visual reminds us to listen.
Do we pay attention when we get that gut feeling that gives us a yes or no answer to a question? Listening involves signals besides words.
Notice how listening can make better agreements between business or personal partners. Listening closely can make all the difference between success and failure.
I always love hearing from you, so if you feel like sending me a note, calling or coming to see me, please do!
Have a wonderful day!
