In this week’s blog, I want to touch base on the premise of listening. Listening is defined as being able to take notice and act(respond). When was the last time you truly listened to someone, something, or yourself? The simple act of listening or paying attention can be enough for you to fix most situations and transcend your moments. The power of listening can allow you to focus on what truly matters. The world can have control over our steering wheel more than we would like, so this is the time to take back the driver’s seat and take control of your life.

I know when someone comes to me with an “issue/dilemma,” I do my best to make sure to listen to them. I hear everything they say and everything they do not say in those dark places where we keep our secrets, and our rough pasts can often lead to answers and peace from within. The past can be fertilizer to grow beautiful flowers or can grow weeds that suffocate you. How do you feel? How are you really doing? Are you in pain from all of life’s struggles? Are you just struggling to make ends meet each week/month? If any of these questions resonate with you, then this blog is for you. The people who do not know how to listen to themselves create the turmoil that they face each day. However, with a plan of action, you can learn to be an effective listener on the inside and out.

Being able to listen to what’s going on inside you is the first step to repairing any damage you have received. This damage can be from past traumas or real-life injuries, but regardless of what you are going through, you can start to unravel what is going on inside you. In order to find out what is going on within you, then honesty with yourself is what you must seek. You cannot live behind your excuses and blame others for your misfortune or troubles.

Being able to listen to what is going on inside you is the first step to self-healing. For example, you might be angry at another person, and what you will find once you listen to yourself is that you need to allow forgiveness to set in. The things that weigh the heaviness on our souls can be the things that should not be there in the first place. Have you been hurt by a friend or perhaps something more relevant, like being mistreated or taken advantage of? These things can weigh heavy on you, and it is important to let these things go. Letting go begins by being able to listen to yourself and determining what you really need to make your next days the best days.

The beauty of today is that your body is experiencing a new day that it will never have again. Tomorrow might be very similar to yesterday, but that doesn’t mean your body will be the same. You might have hurt your ankle and cannot walk the next day. Maybe, you ate some unhealthy foods that didn’t give you the energy to conquer your day. Regardless of the factor that is causing you to operate below 100%, you have to understand and acknowledge that you are not performing at your best. This is not an area where excuses are excused, but rather an opportunity for you to make something out of the situation.  You should be able to go where your body takes you. Challenge where you are today and handle yourself with care.

I can recall a time when I was in Bikram’s class, and I was becoming angry and upset because I was just not having a good class. The class mentally/physically began well before I got there. The foods I ate were not what my body needed, and my mindset was not where it should have been. The world felt like it was on me, and I wanted to fight the world. What I failed to do was listen to myself that day and give myself what was needed to succeed. My yoga teacher saw that and told me to pay attention to where I was today. Listen to yourself and acknowledge that where you are now doesn’t have to be where you are tomorrow. That class was a great lesson for me. It taught me that the power of listening could help me in my most challenging moments.

The next type of listening to focus on is listening to understand. We have been conditioned our whole life to listen to be able to respond. For example, the teacher will ask the class a question, and the class raises their hands to be able to give an answer to the teacher. This is fine for the most part, but what if I am lost and do not know my next steps? I can perhaps give a sympathetic response and say, “I have gone through the same, and everything will be ok.” The truth is, regardless of what you have gone through in life will not put you in another person’s shoes. Mind reading is a skill many people do not possess. However, the next best skill is listening.

To be able to understand a situation and how someone feels is one of the best ways to communicate with another. Anyone can answer a question with “I don’t know” or “Yeah, that sucks!” but what purpose do these questions serve? Sometimes a listening ear is all you need in order to feel better, but what if you need an ear and a hand to lead you? That is where the power of listening really comes into play. The power to be able to listen to someone and know what they need or need to hear is a gift.

The gift of listening can be attained by anyone. To receive this gift, you must first be sure that you are fully aware of your feelings. You have to be honest with yourself first before you can go around listening fully to others. This is because if you are empty in some area of your life, you will always be trying to fill that area, and that will cause you not to be able to give 100% to another. However, you might see other people putting other people’s needs first before their own. Are both people able to benefit, or is this a one-sided type of deal?

One of the toughest things about listening to others is that we cannot fix their problems. The art of listening has molded into a, you say something and I give you an answer. Listening has long been more than just responding to someone. I gained that skill from my days as a teacher and swim instructor. It is very easy to give an answer or feel sympathetic/empathetic, but you cannot live other people’s lives for them. The person must learn and work through any problems or difficulties they are having.

In conclusion, listening can be a helpful skill to acquire sooner than later. You may be a very good listener now, but how can you reach the next level? The level where you can hear your body and give it what it needs. The level where you can hear the things people say and don’t say. Lastly, the level where you can hear all that is around you. This can be heard in either all its calamity or all its tranquility. Remember to be present while listening to feel and take in all that is happening. Listen to your body, heart, and soul, and watch where it takes you.

Until then

Michael Rearden

Founder of Reven Concepts