Can we agree that people need to have better conversations. A little less of the "I think" statements and a little more of the "what are your thoughts?" I have a few close friends that I can count on to cause me to think more deeply and challenge my desire to be right or to have things go my way.
I think questions offer the opportunity for a good cleanse. A long deep pause and an invitation to reflect on the way I think about things. We are all products of our environment no doubt about it. So consider this. If you have lived in the same place with the same group of people generating the same view points, how can you possibly deepen your compassion for others?
Walk a mile in another man's/woman's shoes. Yes that takes effort. I have had the opportunity to do this through my role as a military wife. I have been in the depths of isolation on a few different occasions. And I come back from those seasons more sensitive to my surroundings. This time around I come back to a place that I have learned to call home. This place is the place my mother moved me when I was young. I never considered it home really. I took every opportunity to get away not giving much thought to the ties I made. I liked the adventure. I tested the boundaries of friendships and many have fallen away. But there are a few friends that have stuck by this nomad. And I find that this time I experienced more loss than I expected. They have stolen my heart. Why?
Because in all my travels, I am finding it more difficult to find the cleanse of a good conversation. People are afraid it seems to me to be that vulnerable. No blame. This type of conversation expands your heart and changes your mind. And you can never go back to the way you once felt comfortable.
As I journey back to the place I call home, I wish for you a place like this. A place for your heart to feel safe and space for you to grow and change. To become the person you know yourself to be. It takes a bit of courage. I hope you find that courage.
No comments:
Post a Comment