Speaking with Olasope Oyelaran, a linguist from Nigeria, Mark Nepo author of the No. 1 New York Times Bestseller The Book of Awakening learned that there were 7,000 living languages that we know of on Earth.
Following that discussion Mark contemplated that if there are at least seven thousand ways to speak, there are at least seven thousand ways to listen.
We all, especially if we have been suffering for a long time, need solutions to our problems.
Our problems and challenges consume us. They become our world. We see everything in the context of those problems and we view people as either for or against us.
Life is not that simple.
What I know for sure is that complaining won’t help. Neither does blaming and accusing.
We all want to be understood however that never comes if we want to prove that we are right and the other person is wrong.
When we ask questions and listen…really listen to the responses…we learn, we understand, we get a different perspective.
Whatever is challenging you today – I may not fully understand unless I walk in your shoes.
You may not have food, you may be suffering in your marriage, you may have a fatal disease, you might have a child with a disability, you may be gay and feeling like you don’t belong, you may be black and feeling defeated, you may be white and feeling persecuted….this list is endless.
There is a lot that I DO NOT KNOW!
What I do know is that each of us has a light and a dark side. We are all capable of love and equally capable of hate yet what is missing is tolerance and good old curiosity and we get that – when we ask questions.
Questions can stimulate and persuade. They are signs of a curious mind, a caring heart – and a confident personality. They are essential tools of the seeker AND the problem solver. In our personal lives, they can make the difference between getting what we want and going without. – The 7 Powers of Questions by Dorthy Leeds
Your expertise is your business! 