Some of the most inspiring or thought-provoking articles I’ve read over the past week, have had to do with the ways we communicate with each other and how well we are understood. Unfortunately, real dialogue is often missing in action these days.
One of my heroes, the poet and writer John O’Donohue asks,
“When is the last time that you had a great conversation, a conversation which wasn’t just two intersecting monologues… in which you overheard yourself saying things that you never knew you knew, that brought the two of you on to a different plane… a conversation that continued to sing in your mind for weeks after wards? I’ve had some of them recently, and it’s just absolutely amazing, they are food and drink for the soul, you know?”
Luckily, I can say that I have had these kinds of conversations with close and trusted friends and they are food for the soul. But do they have to be so rare? If I were to outline the steps necessary to prepare the ground for good conversation, they would be:
- Slow down. Stay open to opportunities for good conversation.
- Listen. With your eyes, ears, mind, attention, and especially heart.
- Have courage to share your deepest self.
- Be open. Everyone and everything has something to teach us.
- Don’t judge. Everyone is going through something.
If you’re interested in this subject too, here is an article I found interesting – In the Tokyo Subway, Paulo Coelho
Wishing you great conversations this holiday season.
Related Books
Turning to One Another: Simple Conversations to Restore Hope to the Future
Anam Cara: A Book of Celtic Wisdom by John O’Donohue
