Blog entry for:
Fri, Dec 9, 2011 07:15:45 AM
∀ i will quiet my own thoughts and listen to what someone else is saying ∀
posted: Fri, Dec 9, 2011 07:15:45 AM
as i journey towards Denver this morning, i still have a few things to get accomplished. i am on a way early bus, and one that does not stop again until we get to our destination, and all of a sudden in a flash, i have my metaphor for this little ditty.
this whole working in an office gig has been a bit of an adjustment for me, but adjustment or not, the nice part of this gig, is that i GET an hour each way when i am allowed to not be present. i do not have to pay attention to anything as i motor on down the highway, all of that is being taken care of for me. the metaphor that i came up with, is often in meetings and in conversation my mind is like this bus ride, making limited stops and not present for what is going on around me in the here and now. i am judging, or scheming, or even just tuning out, rather than listening to what is being said. i even find myself doing the same on some phone conversations, from time to time. yes, some days it is all about purple dragons and who cares if you hare sand in your shoes! does that make me an evil, uncaring slob? no, it just makes me human, although the part of me i call addiction, likes to use such events as evidence that i am no better than i was when i came to the rooms.
i could say i liked this reading, and while that may or may not be true for others, for me, i really have very little emotional reaction to the daily reading. what i do get is a mental reaction, that triggers a whole cascade of seemingly unrelated threads. today, however, i zoomed in on quick check of my skill set, namely do i have the ability to be an active listened, or am i just a passenger on the express bus to my next speech or sound bite? the answer of to that question, frames what i need to be present for today. yes i need to be present to being present to what is being said and respond appropriately. i can do that and when i get to my daily inventory tonight, it will be interesting to see how well i accomplished that task. it is after all, all about me today and HOW i manage to live a program of recovery,
so i am going to get a bit of work done, read the news and walk into work knowing i did what i needed to do, all the time traveling at 70 miles per hour down the highway. that my friends is a gift, just for today.
this whole working in an office gig has been a bit of an adjustment for me, but adjustment or not, the nice part of this gig, is that i GET an hour each way when i am allowed to not be present. i do not have to pay attention to anything as i motor on down the highway, all of that is being taken care of for me. the metaphor that i came up with, is often in meetings and in conversation my mind is like this bus ride, making limited stops and not present for what is going on around me in the here and now. i am judging, or scheming, or even just tuning out, rather than listening to what is being said. i even find myself doing the same on some phone conversations, from time to time. yes, some days it is all about purple dragons and who cares if you hare sand in your shoes! does that make me an evil, uncaring slob? no, it just makes me human, although the part of me i call addiction, likes to use such events as evidence that i am no better than i was when i came to the rooms.
i could say i liked this reading, and while that may or may not be true for others, for me, i really have very little emotional reaction to the daily reading. what i do get is a mental reaction, that triggers a whole cascade of seemingly unrelated threads. today, however, i zoomed in on quick check of my skill set, namely do i have the ability to be an active listened, or am i just a passenger on the express bus to my next speech or sound bite? the answer of to that question, frames what i need to be present for today. yes i need to be present to being present to what is being said and respond appropriately. i can do that and when i get to my daily inventory tonight, it will be interesting to see how well i accomplished that task. it is after all, all about me today and HOW i manage to live a program of recovery,
so i am going to get a bit of work done, read the news and walk into work knowing i did what i needed to do, all the time traveling at 70 miles per hour down the highway. that my friends is a gift, just for today.
∞ DT ∞
The views expressed on this page are solely the opinion of the author.
While the author is a member of a 12 Step recovery fellowship, these writings are not intended to endorse or express the published wisdom of any fellowship.
These writings are not meant to be socially or politically correct, and if you take issue with any opinions expressed, please seek the guidance of someone wiser than me.
While the author is a member of a 12 Step recovery fellowship, these writings are not intended to endorse or express the published wisdom of any fellowship.
These writings are not meant to be socially or politically correct, and if you take issue with any opinions expressed, please seek the guidance of someone wiser than me.
Another Look!
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Δ with a little practice, i can find greater freedom from self-obsession δ 397 words ➥ Saturday, December 9, 2006 by: donnot
∞ i sometimes encounter communication problems ∞ 428 words ➥ Sunday, December 9, 2007 by: donnot
δ in conversation, i may suddenly realize that … 466 words ➥ Tuesday, December 9, 2008 by: donnot
≡ learning how to listen **really listen** ≡ 506 words ➥ Wednesday, December 9, 2009 by: donnot
— the ability to listen is a gift and grows as i grow spiritually — 725 words ➥ Thursday, December 9, 2010 by: donnot
ℜ at times, i may find that ℜ 711 words ➥ Sunday, December 9, 2012 by: donnot
¢ i may find that my answers have nothing to do with the questions ¢ 701 words ➥ Monday, December 9, 2013 by: donnot
≡ my answers have nothing to do ≡ 401 words ➥ Tuesday, December 9, 2014 by: donnot
☾ listening ☽ 759 words ➥ Wednesday, December 9, 2015 by: donnot
🌊 speeches prepared 🍀 567 words ➥ Friday, December 9, 2016 by: donnot
🗨 talking about 🐲 515 words ➥ Saturday, December 9, 2017 by: donnot
🕬 seeking greater freedom 🕪 514 words ➥ Sunday, December 9, 2018 by: donnot
🥴 purple dragons, 🦄 485 words ➥ Monday, December 9, 2019 by: donnot
👂 the ability to listen 👂 494 words ➥ Wednesday, December 9, 2020 by: donnot
— really listening — 418 words ➥ Thursday, December 9, 2021 by: donnot
🙉 the ability 🙉 588 words ➥ Friday, December 9, 2022 by: donnot
🔩 if it is not 🔩 410 words ➥ Saturday, December 9, 2023 by: donnot
☯ The Tao that can be spoken is not the eternal Tao ☯
by Lao-Tse
Translated by James Legge
Book 1
2) The report of that fulfilment is the regular, unchanging rule.
To know that unchanging rule is to be intelligent; not to know it
leads to wild movements and evil issues. The knowledge of that unchanging
rule produces a (grand) capacity and forbearance, and that capacity
and forbearance lead to a community (of feeling with all things).
From this community of feeling comes a kingliness of character; and
he who is king-like goes on to be heaven-like. In that likeness to
heaven he possesses the Tao. Possessed of the Tao, he endures long;
and to the end of his bodily life, is exempt from all danger of decay.