Cultivating stillness
When I come across something particularly good, I want to share it with you. I subscribe to a meditation newsletter and a recent entry really grabbed me, in part because the author’s opening line speaks to communication (my field) as much as meditation (her field).
She wrote: “We bring our whole self to our meditation practice. Our entire history of experience is there when we sit.”
Yes! And our entire history of experience is present in every interaction, too.
We often forget that the way we see or hear something is unique to us, and that the person next to us is processing through a different set of experiences. Any meaningful interaction must therefore include reflection and inquiry about context. What is the context of the other person, and how might it differ from mine? When we cultivate stillness, we are better able to explore these questions.
Advanced communication skills go beyond attentive listening and speaking; they also include thoughtful reflection — exploring ourselves and others with curiosity, humility, and gentleness.
I recommend reading this post on meditation, even if you are not a meditator. Caroline Aulis writes with depth and wisdom. You will see that both meditation and high-level communication skills are about cultivating our capacity to explore discomfort, engage with ambiguity, and open ourselves to deeper awareness.
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Copyright © 2022 Sharon V. Kristjanson. All rights reserved.