PKay Reflections

Chinese Character for Listening     The left side of the symbol represents and ear. The right side represents the individual. One explanation of this symbol said that in order to listen, we must use our eyes, our ears and our open heart, together with our undivided attention. Another explanation said that to listen, we must use both ears, watch and maintain eye contact, give undivided attention and finally be empathetic. This is the idea of engaging in active listening. By using empathetic listening techniques, you will be able to hear a lot more than what a person is saying.  Allow others to run the conversation. After all, you are there to listen with the ear of your heart . Ask questions to clarify is a crucial part of effective communication. Reflect on what was said for deeper understanding.

"Teach Me To Listen" by John Veltri SJ Teach me to listen, O God, to those nearest me, my family, my friends, my co-workers. Help me to be aware that no matter what words I hear, the message is, “Accept the person I am. Listen to me.” Teach me to listen, my caring God, to those far from me – the whisper of the hopeless, the plea of the forgotten, the cry of the anguished. Teach me to listen, O God my Mother, to myself. Help me to be less afraid to trust the voice inside – in the deepest part of me. Teach me to listen, Holy Spirit, for your voice – in busyness and in boredom, in certainty and doubt, in noise and in silence. Teach me, Lord, to listen. Amen.

Much of our life’s quest is seeking to satisfy our need to belong.  We join clubs, attend social events, join church groups, and seek friendships that give us a sense of belonging.  Yet we do not fully discover who we are until we find to Whom we really belong.   Jesus talked about this with his disciples (John 17:1-11). “I revealed your name to those whom you gave me out of the world.  They belonged to you, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word.” "You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in you." - St Augustine of Hippo

The Universal Narrative: When You Feel Unworthy https://zenhabits.net/unworthy/ By Leo Babauta A little boy was told by his father, from a young age, that he wasn’t good enough. Not in so many words, but through his actions — by criticizing him, yelling at him, hitting him, leaving him. The boy grew up into a man, knowing that he was unworthy of praise, of success, of love. The boy, as an adult, got a job, but didn’t really think he was good enough to do the job well. He faked it, deathly afraid every single day that he would be found out and mocked, then fired. He tried to hide, not to put himself in the spotlight, because then maybe no one would see his unworthiness. But he was always deathly afraid of people seeing him fail. So he held himself back, careful not to do anything where he might fail. He put off taking on tough tasks, and formed a long habit of procrastination. This came to rule his life, affecting his health habits, financial habits, relationshi...

The Practice of Silence for Lay People https://www.catholic.sg/the-practice-of-silence-for-lay-people/ Silence. It’s a word that is both appealing and terrifying. It is a word that can either connote peace and calm, or frightening isolation. While some might find the idea of silence appealing, the truth is, most of us don’t do well with perfect quiet. Have you ever sat alone in a room, only to hear sounds you had never noticed before? The ticking of a clock. The whooshing of air moving through ducts. The hum of a refrigerator. A lawn mower running in the distance. It is all a bit unnerving. But perhaps the thing we fear most about silence is being alone with our own thoughts. When confronted with true quiet, we begin to hear the mad and chaotic rush of thoughts filling our minds. The anxieties, the deep longings, the painful questions all seem to come bubbling to the surface of our consciousness–and it makes us uncomfortable. We fear this confrontation with our inn...

Three Rules of Willpower: 1. Willpower is a finite resource Science has shown that willpower is strongest early in the day and wanes as the day goes on. 2. Willpower is a “muscle” which can be strengthened Science has also shown that willpower acts like a muscle and can be strengthened with “exercise.” 3. Willpower is subject to your environment Structure your environment in a way that eliminates the need for willpower. For more details, Read " The 3 Rules of Willpower (and How to Make Them Work for You) "

Gratitude Can Change Destiny There was a small bird living in a desert. With no sign of greenery the bird use to hop around on the hot sand through the day. An angel while on his way to God saw the little bird and felt pity. He went and asked “O little bird! What are you doing in this hot desert? Can I do something for you?” The little bird said, “I am very pleased with my life, but this heat is unbearable. Both my feet are getting burnt. Only if there was a tree here, I’d be delighted”. Angel said, “Growing a tree in the middle of desert is beyond my scope. I am to going meet God, let me speak to him and ask if he could fulfill your desire”. Angel asked God, if he could help the bird. God said, “I could grow a tree, but her destiny doesn’t allow it. And I can’t change that. However, you can give her my message, which will help her survive the heat. Ask her to hop with one foot at a time. That ways she can rest the other one for a while and change foot often. This way onl...