Reflection. Listening for new opportunities

Have you ever noticed that there are moments when it feels like life is speeding up? I think of waves lapping against the shore. As soon as one ends, the next one comes in. Sometimes the details of daily life manifest themselves in a similar way. While we don’t know it, only significant events — graduations and weddings, births and deaths — mark our journey through life.

Too often we simply prepare for the next wave, instead of enjoying or attending the one that just passed us by. We think we have too much to do to take the time to reflect on that day or event. How do we even get it all done? And yet. By allowing ourselves to integrate our experiences, we have more room for new possibilities. We feel alive and full of energy. We are ready for the next wave and actually look forward to seeing how it develops, surges and collapses.

Reflection can teach us to be better listeners — of ourselves, God and others. Wisdom tells me that there is something very important about taking the time to acknowledge what is happening each day. This is part of my listening practice. It can take the form of a journal, a walk on the beach, a conversation with a close friend, or quiet time with myself.

I have learned to ask myself questions to become a more mindful listener of myself and others. Try asking these questions in your practice:

- What just happened?
- What did I learn?
- How have I grown because of it?
- What is in store for me next?
- How has it affected others in my life?
- How does this relate to behaviors in my past?
- What experiences can I share with others?

Taking the time to explore these questions opens up the creative possibilities of listening. The key is to give ourselves permission to “do nothing” — to value our experience enough to honor it with silence, to dream without guilt. When we do this, we will approach listening to others renewed, refreshed, with a sense of awe and wonder. New possibilities will open up when we listen in this way.