Saturday, Aug. 22, 2020
Today’s Gift from Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation is:
Listen, or thy tongue will keep thee deaf. — Native American proverb
Much of what we learn on this path comes from others also making their way. We go to meetings and listen to their reflections and their stories and we think, “That’s like me.” When neighbors or friends at work tell us about their lives, we often gain insight about our own. Sometimes we think, “I guess I didn’t have it so bad.” By being a good listener, we may get encouragement to stay on the path.
It’s an honor to have others disclose to us what they have been through. And it’s a trust that we ought to respect. Listening with an open heart isn’t always easy. It doesn’t mean that we simply sit there while others talk. It means that we engage actively to perceive what they are telling us and to understand how they came to feel and think as they do. When we put our ego aside, we stop thinking about what we will say in response; we stop trying to offer helpful advice or a better answer. We just take in what they are trying to tell us.
Today, I will actively engage as a good listener.
Hazelden Foundation
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