Listening ... what a gift to me!

I attended a fantastic tennis camp this weekend held at the Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs. I went with 7 other fabulous women. We were there for 2 nights and played tennis for about 11 hours. Needless to say my body is somewhat sore right now but I can’t even begin to describe the rejuvenation I feel today. This is a trip that is totally up my alley. If I’m going to be away from my husband and kids then it’s going to be for something that will leave my energy soaring. Nothing does that more than exercise, a spa, great dinners and the company of wonderful people.

I tried something different this weekend though. Usually I am the story-teller in any situation I’m in. I feel it’s natural for me to talk because I do it all the time whether it’s teaching a class or doing a reading or guiding my kids … etc. This weekend I truly understood the meaning of the expression “if words are silver then silence is golden”. I found myself listening to others a lot more this weekend. The gift was getting to know some of these ladies a lot better than I ever would have before and learning a lot from their experiences. Trust me if you were there this weekend you wouldn’t say I was totally quiet because that’s next to impossible for me but I’m working on it.

I’ve realized through the many readings that I’ve done that sometimes people just want me to listen. I used to feel like I hadn’t done my job when someone came to me for a reading and I didn’t talk 90% of the time. Anytime I interject myself and what I would like to see then I get myself in trouble. I had to take a step back to realize that this is their hour with me and it’s their choice as to how it will look. Some people need to listen the whole time, some need to talk to find their comfort and some need a combination. Personally, if I go to get a reading I like to listen to what the reader is feeling and seeing. That doesn’t necessarily mean that I take on everything he or she might say but I feel it does offer me a different perspective which may be something to consider.

I did this exercise once in a group where we spent 2 full minutes listening to someone talk about what they love about themselves. The fascinating thing was that it was an extremely difficult task for both people. The person talking couldn’t think of that many great things to say about themselves and the person listening wanted so badly to agree with the other and praise them as well. Obviously that’s not a realistic conversational scenario but it certainly does put emphasis on the art of listening.

Personally, I am constantly trying to be a better listener. I feel that's how I respect the person talking and their story but more importantly I gain so much more by not interjecting my thoughts and my story.

I’d love to hear your thoughts about this post. You may leave a comment below, email me to mary@marysalfi.com or find me on Facebook by becoming a fan of marysalfi.com

I am teaching a class on Angels, Archangels and Ascended Masters this Thursday evening from 6:30 pm to 9:30 pm. Please email me to mary@marysalfi.com if you’d like to attend. If you’d like to receive information on upcoming classes and events please sign up for my newsletter at www.marysalfi.com

Off to listen to my 4 year old.

Mary