I recently read a quote that really made me think, it said…

” Listen! Or your tongue will make you deaf. ” Cherokee saying.

I do believe we often forget that the ‘art of communicating’ is a two way street. Being able to articulate and speak well purely in itself is not enough.

How often have we had a long conversation with someone that has left us feeling very satisfied and then realised that the person to whom we had been speaking had said very little. They generously have let us share our thoughts and feelings with them without asking for the same in return. It is only after we have walked away from that person do we realise this. We have spent the whole conversation talking about ourselves and not asked the other person how they are, or talked about what is going on in their lives.

I don’t believe it is a conscious selfish act, simply a thoughtless one. We often get so caught up in the daily drama’s of our own lives, that we forget that it is the same for other people. So what can we do to try and become more thoughtful and a better friend or person.

Good listeners are surprisingly rare. Hearing people and properly listening to them are two separate processes and unfortunately, the two don’t coincide particularly often. Listening requires energy and dedication.

Are you as good a listener as you think you are? Perhaps you feel you show empathy by relating personal experience into your conversations? But being too quick to turn the conversation back onto yourself or your own experiences, even if it is done with the genuine eagerness to prove we too have those feelings, can actually make you appear to be a bore or self-obsessed.

There’s no doubt about it, listening to a friend with problems requires an input of time and energy. That is why some people just don’t want to hear. However, making that life choice to be a good listener is a valuable decision. Being a good listener can pay a number of dividends as relationships and friendships grow and, through mutual respect, comfort in sharing intimacies increases.

Then of course, last but not least, do you really listen to yourself! To your own inner voice. Taking the time each day, to devote to finding quiet or peace to strengthen your sense of equilibrium or inner balance, is very important. It can be an invaluable way of dealing with life’s stress with all its trials and tribulations. It also allows a doorway for that small voice of God or your higher self to communicate with you. Breaking through the constant noise and babble of our inner mental thought processes is very hard.

So here it is, a little something for you to think about. I would love to hear your thoughts on it..I promise to listen!

Finding happiness is the number one feeling we all seek as human beings. It is more important than money, health, or relationships. Without happiness, it is unlikely that you are even able to enjoy and appreciate those things.

This is one of my favourite quotes. “Happiness, is when what you think and what you say and what you feel, are in harmony,” Mahatma Gandhi. It makes perfect sense, it is simple and you would think an easy thing to do. But if it was, then why are so many people unhappy?

Happiness brings us greater health, greater wealth, and more honest and loving relationships. It is our greatest gift. For when we are happy, everyone around us is happy, and we attract positive circumstances into our lives. Life just flows easily and effortlessly.

Basing your personal happiness upon a successful relationship, or doing well in your chosen profession, or your social standing in life, is building your happiness upon very shakey foundations. It could be likened to constructing a pyramid, made of playing cards. If you pull just one of those cards away, the whole structure collapses. Happiness that is based on this, is not real, it is simply an illusion.

I believe, the key to finding true happiness always starts within. It is about liking yourself as you are. It is about staying true to your own inner moral compass and integrity. It is about, not, trying to be someone you are not, simply to gain love or approval from others. Accept that you are perfect just as you are. Happiness is a spiritual journey. It is a discovery of who we really are. It is a lesson in living in peace.

Love and light
Kaz