Listen

“Listen to the sounds of nature and likewise listen to people. Listen without imposing anything on what you are listening to – don't judge, because the moment you judge, listening ceases.”

(Osho)

This sentence inspires me a lot. Have you ever noticed how common it is when we hear someone, or news about someone, automatically our thoughts about what we hear are loaded with judgments, with beliefs we have in us about what is right and wrong?

Developing real listening is a daily deconstruction.

Culturally we experience judgment since we were babies. There are attitudes that pleased our parents or those who took care of us and there are others that displeased us. So, from a very early age, we were conditioning ourselves to right and wrong, beautiful and ugly, pleasant and unpleasant, conditioning ourselves in order to be approved, accepted, loved or just survivors.

Throughout life, we continue to live in this pattern, we create masks and use them almost all the time to be accepted in the environments in which we circulate.

It's natural for us to do it the same way they did to us. When listening, our mind already processes judgments about what is being heard.

We are invited to be more attentive to this. Working on the understanding within us, using all the senses while listening, being truly present when listening to someone.

And in the end, who said we don't judge ourselves too? We are usually the most judged by ourselves.

Have you been listening to yourself lovingly?

Have you been listening to your body? Our body talks to us all the time, revealing some pain, tension, discomfort, illness, tiredness, exhaustion, indisposition.

Have you been listening to your heart? It also tells us a lot about ourselves. Showing himself loaded with hurts, grudges, guilt, regrets, continuous sadness, bad mood.

Have you been listening to your mind? It often shows us irritation, discomfort, impatience, lack of focus and concentration, imbalance, intolerance, imprisonment to the past or future, making it impossible to live in the present moment...

It is important to listen, look, observe, perceive, feel, understand, welcome and care for yourself with affection. Do not miss these listening opportunities, if something is not right, be aware and meet your needs and fully recover.

Be careful when dealing with yourself, when looking in the mirror, do not look for “defects” that are nothing but social creations. Avoid criticizing yourself by punishing yourself for thinking you could have done better. Learn and do it different next time, if you like. But don't dwell on it. This will not bring you anything positive.

You don't have to judge yourself for being the way you are, for expressing yourself. Yes, we expose ourselves when we express ourselves. But we have this right and everything is fine.

Take care of yourself! Remember that we can only give away what we have, so let us take care that we have self-love.

That we can increasingly improve a loving listening with each other and with us too.

Namaste!