Tuesday, February 2, 2021
Today's Gift
What most of us want is to be heard, to communicate. —Dory Previn
Our personhood is denied; the self we are presenting to the word is negated each time we speak, yet go unheard. "The greatest gift we can give one another is rapt attention." If we want attention, we must also give it. That means letting go of all extraneous thoughts when we're in conversation with someone. We cannot expect to get from others what we are unable or unwilling to give.
Being heard and hearing another person is more than just listening. It's letting ourselves be touched, in an intimate way, by the other's words. We don't want judgment, or shame, or to be discounted when we share who we are with another. We want to know that we have been intimately heard. And when we have a chance to hear another, we listen intently for the words meant for us, words that will stretch our womanhood and bring us closer to our inner selves as well.
The beauty of hearing each other is that it helps us to hear ourselves. We know better who we are when we listen to one another. Every conversation offers us a chance to be real, to help another person be real.
Rapt attention is my greatest gift. If I want to receive it, I must give it.
From Each Day a New Beginning: Daily Meditations for Women by Karen Casey ©
From: Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation - Thought for the Day http://www.hazeldenbettyford.org/recovery/thought-for-the-day
********************************Twenty-Four Hours a Day
Plants grow best when we pay attention to them. That means watering, touching them, putting them in places where they will receive good light. They need people around them to notice if they are drooping at the edges or looking particularly happy in the sunlight. The more attention a plant receives, the better it will grow.
We need to be noticed in the same way. If we notice a family member or friend is drooping, perhaps we can pay some special attention to them. All of us need someone to care about how we are and to truly listen to us. We can share and double someone's happiness by noticing and talking about it also. We help the people around us to grow by listening to their droopy edges as well as their bright days. People need this as much as plants need light and water.
Action for the Day: I will help someone grow today by quietly listening and ensuring them they were heard.
From: Bluidkiti's Alcohol and Drug Addictions Recovery Help/Support Forums Daily Recovery Readings - http://www.bluidkiti.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=2
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One Day At A Time
Meditation is something which can always be further developed.
It has no boundaries, either of width or height. Aided by such
instruction and example as we can find, it is essentially an
individual adventure, something which each one of us works out
in his own way. But its object is always the same: to improve our
conscious contact with our Higher Power, with Their grace, wisdom, and love.
- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, (Step Eleven) p. 101
Thought to Ponder
Prayer asks the question. Meditation listens for the answer.
AA-related 'Alconym'
K I S S = Keeping It Simple, Spiritually
From: AA Thought for the Day (courtesy AA-Alive.net) http://www.aa-alive.net/index.html
Listen well***************************Daily MotivationExcerpt of The Daily Motivator
by Ralph Marston
Effective listening can be a truly powerful way to express yourself. When you wish to say something in the best way possible, take the time and make the effort to listen first.
Communication is most effective when it is a two-way, interactive process. Listen carefully, thoughtfully, attentively, with focus on what is being said and on who is saying it. Listen not only with your ears, but also with your knowledge, your intuition, your compassion and your genuine desire to understand. Listen well, and create a powerful connection with those to whom you listen.
Truly seek to understand, and you’ll be much better able to make yourself understood. Listen well, and you’ll learn the most effective way to say whatever you have to say.
The most well-chosen words come from first using your ears before you ever open your mouth. Listen, really listen, and you’ll have plenty of valuable things to say.
From The Daily Motivator website at http://greatday.com/
Effective listening can be a truly powerful way to express yourself. When you wish to say something in the best way possible, take the time and make the effort to listen first.
Communication is most effective when it is a two-way, interactive process. Listen carefully, thoughtfully, attentively, with focus on what is being said and on who is saying it. Listen not only with your ears, but also with your knowledge, your intuition, your compassion and your genuine desire to understand. Listen well, and create a powerful connection with those to whom you listen.
Truly seek to understand, and you’ll be much better able to make yourself understood. Listen well, and you’ll learn the most effective way to say whatever you have to say.
The most well-chosen words come from first using your ears before you ever open your mouth. Listen, really listen, and you’ll have plenty of valuable things to say.
From The Daily Motivator website at http://greatday.com/
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