Spending time listening to one another seems to be a challenging task in modern times. We seem so intent on doing what we need to do that we don’t take the time to really listen. Have you ever considered listening as a spiritual practice?
I spent many years in sales as a retailer manager and a sales rep. You would think that the most prominent trait of a salesperson is talking! I learned quickly that listening was a greater key to finding out what my customers wanted so I could find, create, or produce it for them. The ‘hard sell’ technique of trying to talk someone into buying my products was not the way — at least not for me!
Genuinely listening to my prospective buyers was much more effective than giving them a sales pitch! Of course, many of my customers became friends rather than just sales prospects. Why? Because listening is an important skill to have and use to connect to people at a deeper level.
After I became a licensed Spiritual Practitioner, I understood how critical it is to use listening as a spiritual practice. Spiritual Practitioners are prayer warriors for folks who need help remembering who they are as one with Spirit. To be effective in that role, I needed to rely on the skill of truly listening — listening with the heart.
One of the deepest needs of people is to be heard.
The times I could see I had someone’s full attention when I talked to them was when I felt most loved and valued. Being willing to listen patiently is a healing gift.
When was the last time you truly listened to your spouse, your kids, your parents, your colleagues? When we give in to the busyness of the world around us, we forget to acknowledge and listen. But what if we considered listening as a spiritual practice, like prayer?
Listening doesn’t always mean trying to fix or even offer an opinion to a person. People have moments when they just want to be heard. Sometimes, we need to sit there and listen with our hearts.
Learning to listen also creates the muscles to learn to listen within — for that is where we hear the voice of Spirit. The Bible talks about the ‘still small voice’: That voice is the voice of our inner wisdom and guidance from Spirit.
Next time someone wants to talk to you, stop, face them, and truly hear their words. Likewise, spend time in quiet meditation regularly to listen to your inner heart and soul. Embrace the spiritual practice of listening, which will open up a new understanding of ourselves and those around us,
In the words of Ernest Holmes: “Let the inner ear listen to the voice of truth that is always speaking.”