I am so late in getting back to this blog. This year began with a bang and has not slowed down even with four snowfalls and loads of time spent hibernating. When I wasn’t twirling around like crazy, I was resting and recuperating – which is a good thing, right? Yet, it has meant that I have not written seriously in a really long time, at least not publicly. I am writing like crazy for school. And hopefully I will find a way to share some of that content here.
I took a short detour to get the first two of three Facebook pages up and running. There is still a lot of work needed to get the Reflections page to auto-magickly update – but it is good for now. I still need to put up a brand spanking new Connect DC web site and Facebook page – hopefully in time to announce our upcoming Ostara ritual (March 21st). Aiieee!
And the fun doesn’t stop there. I am teaching a bunch of classes starting in March. The first will be a weekend of Elemental Psychology. I owe this blog a write up on this topic especially since I have already taught two short versions and two overview classes on the topic of my book already. Then there is my Healer Weekend coming up in April. In between, Anne Hill flies in to teach a class on dreams. Reflections has a solid selection of teachers and classes this year – I am very proud. In fact one of the things I am editing is this year’s welcome message that I delivered to the school during orientation.
I am really satisfied with a new technique I am using to manage my Getting Things Done action list. It works with both sides of your brain at once, and makes working feel good way down deep in your soul. It also means that when you stop using the system, your younger self complains big time -- more on that topic later as well. I also want to share the progress I have made toward my long-term goals. And lastly, I want to share that Reflections is reading Romancing the Shadow as our 2010 book study. I am getting my entire school ready for my June Shadow class.
Well, I think that pretty much brings folks up to date. Okay, Katrina, back to work!
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sweet! :-)
You are usually able to annunciate what I do not have words for. Thank you!
Much love,
-Eridanus
INTJ here. I hear what you are saying.
"what is remembered, lives". It was with sadness that I read of Wilma Mankiller's passing. She won't be forgotten.
"...Weaver, Weaver weave this thread, whole and strong into your web...Healer, Healer, heal our pain...In love may she return again..."
While student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, I became friends with Carl Rogers, who was respected as one of the leading psychotherapists of his time. He taught me much about the art of listening.
Dr. Rogers said that when we listen, and people know we are listening, it shows we truly care about them. In turn, they will respond by caring about you. It opens communication and also opens hearts. When we accept them as a person, unconditionally, they will be more kind to you.
We should listen without preconceptions, without anticipation and without judgement if we want others to portray what they truly feel. We listen with all our senses, not just to the words which are said. Some people cannot fully express themselves while speaking, so we must try to see them as they see themselves. We should watch for non-verbal clues as to what they really mean: facial expressions, body movements, etc.
While we should show positive regard for the other person, we should also demonstrate our own positive self-regard. We do not react to their negative comments, verbally or physically, even when we disagree with them. When they do ask for our opinion, however, we should respond with our true thoughts and in specifics rather than generalities. We offer our own perspective as other options rather than as contradictions.
Listening might seem quite passive as opposed to speaking. It is actually very active. To paraphrase Bobby Kennedy, “I learn while listening. When I talk I don’t learn too much.” If you think talking helps to spread your own wisdom, you are not really wise.