The Rut Less Traveled - Lessons in listening

Taking a vacation is a great way to get away from the daily noises that annoy us.  We want to get away from the alarm clocks, boring board meetings, rush hour traffic, and unwanted phone calls. We seek the holy grail of getaways, the kind where we find both peace AND quiet.  At least that’s the plan.  Instead we end up trading one annoying noise for another.  We may escape the familiar sounds of our daily lives only to spend our time listening for last boarding calls, taxi cabs, tour guides, room service, crowded lines, raucous restaurants, and of course, traffic. But listening is crucial to our journey. While some sounds get on our nerves, others warn us of danger, or comfort the wounded heart. 

Especially when it comes to other people we need to learn the art of listening with our hearts.  No matter where the journey of life takes us; from our front door to the great outdoors, listening can be our greatest part of the journey.

I know, sometimes we think our children are like the annoying traffic, or our friends are like tedious tour guides giving us their life stories and problems all the time.  True, sometimes we don’t always get that peace and quiet we need but if we just stop listening we will soon forget how to listen and we may find that the quiet we have created is just a lonely silence from the separation we created because we would not listen. Our children won’t be as excited to enjoy life around us and our friends will feel more like extra baggage than friends.

So don’t leave learning to listen to deference. Your listening may lesson someone’s burden and make their journey more enjoyable. So remember to put listening to and with your heart on your daily itinerary. It will truly make a difference on your way to all your destinations.