I often have regrets about what I have said and as I am
dwelling on my insecurities and self-doubt, I think I should have just said nothing
at all. Silence can be a powerful
tool. It allows you to listen better and
to think about what you want or need to say in order to get what you want. I am always so impressed by those people that
can speak confidently and intelligently, but I am not one of them. I am always second guessing either what I have
said or how I have said it. I wish I
could use speech as a tool, but at this point it is not so. I can however use silence as a tool and if I
listen closely and actively then maybe I will have the same effect as if I were
an eloquent speaker. Have you ever
taught your children that they need to think about what they are going to say
before they say it? It’s a lesson many
of us heard as we were growing up and many of us used on our own children. Have you ever witnessed an elderly person who
just sits and watches until they are able to say a simple word that grabs
everyone’s attention? Silence can be a
very powerful skill that once learned can allow the person who sits in silence
to obtain wanted results.
Shhhhhh! Listen and wait.
Wait for a clear thought to come to you and then think about it before
saying it aloud. Will is hurt someone?
Will it produce the results you want? Will you regret saying those words? Could you feel the same as you do now without
speaking? Have you ever just listened
without feeling the need to respond or to control the conversation? Try it for five minutes or as long as you can
and see how you feel after actively sitting in silence with only yourself, no text, no facebook, no twitter, just silence. It is relaxing, empowering, and provides
clarity for your mind and your soul.
Hi Deidra~
ReplyDeleteFunny cartoon :)
I agree with listening to sort out the best thing to say to others or not to say.
I use listening when I am alone as a time of calm for my head. Clearing my mind into a silence is an art that I struggle to achieve.When I do sit in silence with no-one around it is rejuvenating and empowering!
Deidra, I enjoyed reading your blog. I liked how you compared Silence and eloquent speaking. I think your right about taking the time to understand silence and its uses. Silence is a way to maintain composure.
ReplyDeleteYou know as I was reading your comments and re-reading my blog I realized there's something else about silence that is so important. I was at a social function yesterday with good friends and one was talking about some serious issues he was dealing with. Another friend kept responding to him immediately after he was done talking which I have learned happens when one isn't actively listening but rather focusing on one aspect and thinking about what they're going to say. I sat there just listening to both of them and after everything was said and done, I responded to my friend with the troubles and talked to him about some of the specific issues he was trying to resolve. Anyway, I just thought active listening is such an important tool for us in our profession because if we immediately jump to conclusions about what we think our client is going to say and then we tell them what they need to do to fix it, we may be giving recommending how to fix a problem that really isn't the problem at all.
ReplyDelete