“With the gift of listening comes the gift of healing.”
– Catherine de Hueck Doherty
As much as we love to talk and share everything going on in our lives, it has been suggested that even more is to be gained by remaining silent and offering our silence to others as a gift. It’s a sacrifice of sorts, but a very blessed one, and one filled with great healing potential – both for the listener and the one being listened to.
We all know how great it feels to be listened to, convinced that we have really been heard. Likewise, we’ve probably experienced the feeling of being “dismissed” when others interrupt us and never get back to inviting our opinion or comment. It can actually hurt, causing the exact opposite of “healing” to take place.
Such a simple gift – silence – with potentially profound healing results. What prevents us from giving it away?
– Connie Popp
Dr. Connie Popp is a board member for The Center for Life Transitions as well as an active facilitator for the Center’s Life-SHIFT and Job Search Courage programs. She is also the Director of Campus Ministry at Alverno College in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Read more.