When You Speak, I’ll Listen

A lesson on listening

When you speak, I’ll listen.

I’ll listen to the words you say. The emotions behind the words. I’ll listen to the pauses between words. The way your face moves and your expressions convey what you’re saying.

When you speak, I’ll listen.

I care about people. I care about listening. I want to help. I want you to be heard.

When you speak, I’ll listen.

I’ll listen to what you’re saying. The way you speak to me. The way your eyes meet mine in union.

When you speak, I’ll listen.

I’m dedicated to hearing you out, so you feel seen. So we can connect, so we can share.

I want you to feel understood. I want to form connections with people.

When you speak, I’ll listen.

When all is said and done, I now have the tools to know.

The discerning wisdom to distinguish when my listening isn’t useful, isn’t helpful, or isn’t okay.

I won’t listen to words that continuously cut me, to people who don’t have any care or awareness of me or others.

I won’t listen to endless streams of self-loathing, hatred, to too much judgment.

I won’t listen.

I won’t listen to words of discouragement. To your attempts at undermining me.

I won’t listen.

I wanted to always listen, but learned the hard way that there is such a thing as too much of a good thing.

I won’t sacrifice my peace to listen to your chaos.

I won’t give my precious gifts too freely without wisdom.

I will never again put the needs of others before my own.

I lost myself because I listened too freely and deeply to others while ignoring myself.

Then I found myself again, reborn, by listening to myself.

My deep listening taught me about the power of discernment, the wisdom of listening to oneself first and foremost.

When you speak, I’ll listen.

With loving space and authentic acceptance.

I see this great gift within myself now and it is not to be taken for granted, abused, or manipulated. It is not to be understood as a weakness, but a beautiful openness.

When you speak, I’ll listen.

I will do so with discernment, love, and wisdom for both myself and you.