LISTEN, THINK AND THEN TALK

Listen to The World—There is Much to Know

You learn to listen and listen to learn to know what your world is telling you. You must listen to what you read, what is said to you and to your “Self.” When we are born, we do not know how. You first hear, and if you want to know what it is that you hear, you must listen. When you do, you feel the sound of your thoughts.

To hear is not to listen. It is not the same. It takes no effort to hear. This is if you want to or not. To hear is one of the senses. It is there by nature and has no on-and-off switch. The senses let us live and are the means to be in touch with our world. They make life worth living. They are tools of nature. If you want to get the most out of what you hear, you must listen.

Listening Skill is Developed

A person must be ready and willing to learn to learn. You have to listen to learn and learn to listen. You have to listen to what you hear, what you read, what is said to you, and to your SELF. When we are born, we do not know how. To know how is not one of the senses it is a skill an acquired skill. When we listen, we feel the sound of our thoughts. So, if you want to think what you read, you must listen to what you read.

You Must Want to Listen to Listen

You must have a deep sense of purpose and a strong drive to learn—not just hear what is said or give a cursory glance at the words you read. When we listen, what we hear has our attention. The mind is closed to all else. You are focused on what you hear to where the mind has taken over. In so many ways, it is much like meditation—calming when we feel it. You must want to learn to listen. Until you do, you will only hear.

Our lives are shaped by how well we know how to listen. Just because you can hear does not mean you are going to do so. We hear with our ears, but we listen with our mind. That is when the words and their meaning have begun to sink in, you are focused. You are there. To see what we mean when we say the things that we do.

What we listen to can—at times—come with feelings of discomfort, but you would not have listened if it had not been what you wanted to know.

You Can Look But Not See and Hear But Not Listen

There is a time to listen. There is a time to think. There is a time to talk. Listen, think, and then speak. Knowing when it is the best time is what determines the outcome. These are the things you must know to have a conversation and dialog. This is the best format to have a bit of give and take where all will have a chance to express their thoughts. No one will feel left out. It works best when one talks and the other stands by. And the key is to know when it is their turn. When you listen, you do that, not a thing more. No such thing as divided listening. You will do so when your mind tells you to.

You cannot be sure of what you have heard if you have not listened. As a result, what you say may not be what you mean. You can talk and hear at the same time, but you will not be listening. If you try, it would be like trying to think two thoughts at the same time. You can do neither one. Our mind moves to what we are thinking. There is no dual track for how we think. And a thought will not divide. It is just as you cannot say two words at the same time.

You Only Go Off Track at The End of The Line

Though our life is always at all times on one track, it does not mean you should have a one-track mind. The mind needs to explore the possibilities, to wander, to create, and to consider what is and what can be. There is no limit to where the mind will go, and as wonderful as this may be, there are times when we have to call it back.

Say what needs to be heard. Someone will hear you. First, you should not say a word until you say it to yourself. Then, no matter what you say, you should always say what you know. There is a lesson in all the things we say and do.

The mind is meant to explore possibilities. In that realm is where you wonder, create, and consider what is thought to be and what can be. There is no limit to where the mind will go, the turns it will take, and the maneuvers it will make, so there are times when you have to call it back. Yes, the mind is the master of thought, no doubt. But we are the master of the mind.

The mind can be just like a misbehaving child.

Peace