There's only one thing you can control, and that is yourself.
Once you understand that concept, you will be much more at peace in and with
the world around you. Life is perceived as a peripheral experience; our
emotions make life a personal experience. By understanding ourselves and
learning to work with our natural emotions, we can and do become increasingly
understanding and empathetic to the people and events around us. We are better
able to handle ourselves within situations with a sense of peace by knowing we
are in control of ourselves. And by allowing others to be themselves, it
becomes easier to identify what kind of person they really are.
To listen to someone speak, without your personal filters
glazing over their words, will allow anyone to see the reality the speaker
lives in. Our preconceived ideas of another person will never even show up. We
can take them as they present themselves. Listening without prejudice, is the
dominant element.
The act of listening without thinking about a response is the
prejudice to which referring to. Listening to the words spoken and thinking
about the meaning of those words, both individually and as a whole, will help
you understand the person speaking and the subject being addressed.
Many of us are more interested in responding than
comprehending to what has been said. It is because of this, many of us miss the
essence of the subject or idea being expressed. As we teach ourselves to listen
we will also learn how to better express our personal ideas on any subject. Listening
(and reading) are two of the best ways we can learn to express ourselves in a
superior fashion. But listening is the only way to really learn about the
person, any person.
Understanding a person will help you decide how you wish to
proceed. Or if you want to proceed at all. You only have control over one
thing, you. Make your decisions with all the tools you have; the ear being one
of the most powerful.
Peace be with you always.
by David E. Gonzales
