A simple step

We all have dreams and aspirations, and most of us plan in some way to achieve them. The first step is having unfailing belief that our aspirations will happen, and the second is a focus or intention that sees us through to those aspirational goals. Often that is all we need, belief and intention. Deepak Chopra talks of desire and intention in the same way. Aspirations are equivalent to desires, albeit that desire has a different connotation and meaning to aspiration... Then we exert effort and energy in an attempt to steer our lives towards our goals. It is interesting how life assists us along this journey. Life pushes us and pulls us this way and that, often in directions that seem so far from our perception of the direction we should be going in, that we feel tension and frustration... More often that not though, the belief carries us through, provided we aspire to things that are right for us and for the world .. It is then that we enter the flow of life, and the pushing and p...

Consider this. The human race is the only race, animal or being in the world that chooses names for itself. You could argue that other animals simply do not have the ability to select names for themselves, as they do not know how to talk or communicate in that way. They definately identify themselves from other animals of the same breed or type, yes, but they do got give themselves names in the same way that we do. Names provide humans with our identity. Without a name, we are a nobody, a nameless human being. Like animals, without names, we would recognize one another by the features that we physically show, the behaviors that we exhibit and the things that we do or that make us different from others. The things that we do, and the behaviors we exhibit relate to our intent, rather than our identity. Our identity is a label that is given to us at birth, and which becomes the label for our particular personality. Our identity enables others to connect with us...

Although most of us have received years of training on how to read, write and speak, few of us have been taught how to actually listen. Listening can be divided into four categories: Social or casual , to fill our days; Attentive, when we are in a situation we regard as important/when receiving instructions; Empathetic, when we want to feel with the other person and understand/be sympathetic; Active listening, requiring a responsibility on the part of the listener to absorb the meanings of the words he/she hears and then assume an active role in the exchange. -The most crucial method of listening Many are good at some of these categories, others are skilled at one, some are skilled in none. As a society we tend to focus on what we are saying rather than how we listen and apply that knowledge and understanding. Practicing and applying good listening skills can help create and sustain an environment of trust, respect and understanding. Hearing is a function that almost never requires eff...