Photo by Andraz Lazic on Unsplash
A couple of years ago, I walked into a local church near my office with the intention of sitting down and waiting for a message to come to me. I may or may not be religious...my religious beliefs are beside the point.
I sat in silence in that church. I waited. I listened.
To my left, there was a group of men and women who were talking and praying together. Up front, there was a priest and he was talking with a small group of parishioners. Scattered throughout the pews were individuals praying.
Time passed.
I waited and listened.
A joke was told to my left and the group laughed.
I continued to wait and listen.
In front of me, the priest began a prayer for the group of parishioners.
I waited...and listened.
A thought came to me slowly. When I had entered this church, I had come with the expectation of finding a quiet spot. It was anything but. In fact, if the people in that church were hoping to hear the word of God, it would have been difficult for the divine to get a word in edgewise. Everyone was talking, no one was listening. This was the message I was meant to receive that day. I got up and quietly walked out.
There will be many times in life when we are in need, unsure, angry, or sad.
Confused times when we struggle with what we should do, how we should act, or how we should react. It is during these times, perhaps, we should consider that if we are talking or doing, it will be very hard for us to hear, understand and learn.
Take a moment to listen to the world around you. Listen without analyzing. Listen without thinking. Listen without judging. Listen without planning what you will say. Seek out different voices and just listen.
Open your heart, mind and ears. Let knowledge and wisdom reach you. Ask your deep mind and soul to take in what is being shared with you. It will understand, in a way that your mind simply cannot. Be quiet and let it speak to you. Listen.
Be prepared to receive powerful thoughts and insights. Deep understanding and new perspectives. Be prepared for new questions that will come to mind. Some will scare you and yet you will know that you cannot turn away.
Hold these new thoughts, understanding and questions in your mind. Look and hear again what distresses you in the world.
Now, what actions will you take? What words will you say? Where will you put your efforts?
Taking a moment to listen isn’t taking a step backward, it is taking a step forward on a truer path. Please take just one moment today, in quiet while being quiet, to just listen.
Written by: Austin Meyermann, Founder and President of Hunter Crown, LLC
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