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Mindful Conversation and the D.C. Riots
What does Mindful Conversation have to do with the D.C. riots? The D.C. riots threatened two of our most cherished values: democracy and decency. D & D, for most of us, are sacred beyond question. So how should we respond? How can we heal? By "we," I mean you and...
What kind of listener are you?
photo credit: pixabay.com What kind of listener are you? According to the results of a survey I've been conducting, about 75% of people consider themselves "above average listeners." According to my actual field research, about 75% of us are abysmal listeners....
What Makes a Conversation Great?
photo credit: pixabay.com A Failed Conversation Conversation is a master life skill. Yet most of us give it little thought. We blunder along, thinking we are good at it, but my research does not support this conclusion. (My research consists primarily in situating...
What blocks the way to Mindful Conversation?
I've been away from the blog for a bit. Painful back problems and very busy, but I've returned, much better, and glad to be here. In a recent class I taught on Mindful Conversation, we discussed what blocks one from listening and speaking in a more mindful way in...
Holiday Conversation
photo credit; pixabay.com Thinking About Holiday Conversation The family gathers. Okay,maybe, Aunt Tilly doesn't show. Friends gather. Okay, at the last minute , Frank calls to say he's bringing his girl friend, Mabel, but that's fine, because she can take Tilly's...
Mindful Conversation. The Power of Still
The Power of Still So many conversations feel so rushed, comments crammed together like stuff piled into a closet. Rarely is there a moment's pause to take in - I mean really take it in, as in savor it - what anyone has said. The rule is "speak fast or forever hold...
A Deeply Satisfying Conversation
A Dinner to remember I had the most delicious, three-hour dinner this week with my great friend, L. The food was fine, but when I say "delicious," I'm thinking about the conversation. Afterwards, I went home, sank into my favorite chair, closed my eyes, replayed the...
The Conversation at the Capital
The Senate Judiciary Committee This Week I had intended to listen for just a few minutes, but once I turned on the Senate hearings, there was no turning it off. The testimony of Christine Blasey Ford and Brett Kavanaugh was riveting. Ugly. Passionate. Sincere....
Staying positive in hard times.
photo credit: pixabay.com Just when I thought the news couldn't get any more absurd, it does; just when I thought the rhetoric designed to turn us all into cynics couldn't get louder, it does; just when I thought the lies, distortions and conspiracy theories had sunk...
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