The Listener

Listening 

This blog post was inspired by a quote I saw on facebook, recently, which said, ‘the biggest communication problem is we do not listen to understand. We listen to reply.”

Truly listening to someone, or being listened to, fully, deeply, and completely, with an open heart, is such a gift to give or receive. For when we are truly listening— Who is the Listener? and to Whom is It listening? The answer to both these questions of course, is the Soul.

Listening to the Soul’s Voice, either our own or another’s, is a truly sacred act. Learning to allow your life to be guided by that Voice, is one of the golden keys to moving forward on your spiritual journey.

I would like to share a story from my own life, where listening to my soul’s voice, and then the voices of others’ souls, formed one of my life’s most pivotal and tenderly held experiences.

About 10 years ago, after studying the art of Spiritual Direction, or 'soul-companionship', at the Vancouver School of Theology, my soul guided me to do a project I called "The Listener".  The goal and intention of this project was to simply go to random places in the downtown core, and offer my services as a 'Listener' to anyone who needed to be listened to.

I designed a sign, then went to a local sign maker and had two little sandwich board signs made up. On one side at the top was printed ‘The Listener’ and below that, a logo I came up with that was a heart, formed from two ears facing each other. Across the bottom was written ‘hear for you’ (yes, I know…it’s kind of a corny play on words!) and on the back was written my favourite Rumi quote: "There is a Voice that doesn't use words. Listen.” The larger sign was about a foot square, meant to be placed on the sidewalk in my chosen spots, and the smaller one, about 6”x6” for a table-top placement  at coffee shops etc.

So one sunny day, with newly printed signs in hand, I made my way downtown. I walked around until I determined, through my soul’s guidance, which spots would be the best to sit down and 'hang out my shingle’ ...and to just wait to see who might want to sit down and simply be deeply and attentively listened to.

Well, only a couple of brave souls took up the invitation, but what an honour and a privilege to be invited into that oh so sacred space, by another. One moment stranger, next moment, soul companion.

This is the soul healing miracle of truly Listening, and can be equally transformative to both Listener and Listened to. Such a simple an act, and yet so deeply profound.

I still have those signs… Maybe it's time for another go at it. So many unheard hearts and souls out there who long to be Listened to.