Practice effective communication

So much trouble is caused in this world due to miscommunication. It can be something quite simple such as "Can you deliver this to........ for me?" I say yes and later discovered that the item to be delivered was within the case, needing the case to be returned which I didn't do. This happened to me last week. It was no major drama, but it occurred for 1 of 2 reasons (or both). 

1. The instruction was not explicit. It involved assumption on behalf of the speaker.... possibly!

2. I did not listen carefully enough. I made an assumption and did not question the instruction. In truth I was a little distracted by what was for me a more pressing matter. The favour I agreed to was (if I'm honest) a bit of an irritation, but in the spirit of teamwork I agreed.

Clarification of the instruction did not occur.

A few years ago I attended a training course in conflict resolution. At that time, part of my role was Customer Services Manager in the motor trade. 
On the second day of the training, 2 volunteers was asked to stand up and speak on a subject of their choice for 5 minutes. The rest of the class were asked to take notes followed by the tutor asking questions about the content.

Yes, you guessed it. I chose to speak for 5 minutes about brass bands!

I picked up 2 important lessons from this exercise. I noticed that the tutor asked questions about my subject that I felt he had misunderstood.

1. Did he listen carefully enough?
2. Did I explain myself well enough?

Bearing in mind last weeks episode, it appears I need to focus a little more on listening and getting clarification! 

-----ooooo00000ooooo-----

Mind Alchemy
Today's work speaks about the benefits of meditation and relaxation. I find that meditation works particularly well after free writing because it helps to clear the mind of clutter. I'm practising relaxations and meditation on a daily basis now and I find it really does help. 
In the guided relaxation/meditation classes I run, I like to allow people to ask for what they want in their lives in their minds. (This occurs at the most relaxed state). More importantly, I remind folk that they also have to opportunity to listen for the answers, either consciously or sub-consciously. 
If you are engaging in daily meditation, I recommend including this in your session. I believe it can have real benefits.  

Today's blog is inspired by a blog by The Loving Path.

To ask for and to receive in a place and in the presence of....

Whilst driving home from work today, a song came on the radio that I had not heard for some time and is one that I like, particularly because it reminds of the time when I first discovered my true vocation (about 7 years ago) and chose to follow it. This was my decision to help people.
The song "Where is the Love" by the Black Eyed Peas touched me at that time, connecting with that feeling in myself to question why the world is so full of conflict; to demand answers. 

When seeking help or understanding for ourselves or others, I think that many of us do it in that tense and emotional way that consumes energy. In so many ways we forget a key component in the transaction of asking for and receiving. 

How can we choose to receive? 

I believe this take focus. The ability to listen, accept and receive into the soul with gratitude that which is always on offer, even if it is not quite what we expected, is the answer. Having taken part in and facilitated some relaxation and meditation sessions recently, I have first hand experience of this. To be in the presence of others that are calm and relaxed assists this process in a great way. This is the result of the creation of a calm atmosphere. It's not a complicated concept really. I make no apology for mentioning that it goes on all over the world in churches. In fact that applies to all faith groups or groups that come together with a common purpose. 
The "asking" part of this is easy enough to do. Asking with passion and at length is even easier. The more difficult part is the concept of calmly listening to receive. For example, how many times have you seen somebody go into a shop or service to make a complaint, then not wait with patience to receive an answer? Maybe you have been the complainant yourself and made that very same error, storming away with anger and resentment. Of course, we don't always get the answer we want, but perhaps it is the answer we need in order to learn. There is great wisdom in the saying "Never look a gift horse in the mouth".

There's a final and important point to all this to a joke I heard and use use to illustrate the point. Apologies to all you Catholics out there. The use of the Pope in the joke is incidental. You can substitute him with any other person that people may desire to meet. 

A millionaire who's a devout Catholic decides to go on a luxury
trip to the
Vatican city to see the Pope in person. He flies out to Rome first
class and
arrives in that big square to listen to the Pope address the faithful.
Afterwards, the Pope comes among the people to meet and greet and
deliver
his blessings. The millionaire is standing there, near the front,
wearing his
finest Armani suit and his best gold jewellery and his chest puffs up
as the
Pope approaches. However, the Pope stops just before him and starts
talking
to a stinking, scruffy old tramp who was standing nearby. The Pontiff
put
his hand on the tramp's shoulder and whispers in his ear, then
leaves him and
walks straight past the millionaire. The rich guy was extremely upset,
so he
found the tramp and said "Look, if I give you my clothes, can I have
yours?" The tramp agreed and so the next day, the millionaire, in his
smelly rags, awaited his audience with the Pope. Once again, the Pope
came
among the people, saw the millionaire, unrecognisable through the
grime, put
his hand on his shoulder and whispered in his ear, "Didn't I tell you to get lost yesterday!"


The lesson in this story is: Be careful what you ask for!


Final, final words I promise!!
Having just listened again to "Where is the Love?" I challenge you to also listen, hear and understand the words. (The video is embedded below.) They tell of all the questions we have in seeking enlightenment for self improvement. Once you have done this, spend some quiet time in relaxation and meditation (or prayer listening state if you prefer) waiting patiently for an answer. You may find some deep revelations to the answers you require in your life.

Our body’s natural ability to heal

If you cut your finger, you will notice that the blood will clot, dry and seal the wound. Eventually, a scab will form and as the body naturally replaces itself, the wound will fully heal. This happens to a greater or lesser extent according to how healthy we are in general.

It is worth noting that our bodies are designed to heal as part of a natural process. We have the ability to actively allow this natural process to happen. It is the brain and mind that controls the body in the first instance. Our brain is the computer that ensures our heart continues to beat and that our blood continues to flow. Our body needs the sustenance of healthy food and water as maintenance.

In the same way, we can choose to feed our minds with healthy information. Our healthy mind can assist our body in the natural healing process. In the same way, a healthy and well fed body will assist our mind to attract positive thoughts.

One way we can choose to balance our mind with an appropriate amount of positive thought is to use meditation. A free source of assistance in meditation can be found in The Silva Ultra Mind System. There is a good explanation about the function of Alpha and Beta waves in the brain along with a downloadable sound file to practice meditation. This lasts approximately 30 minutes. I have been using this material recently and I testify to the benefit I have experienced from it.

You can choose to try meditation. This can compliment traditional treatments such as medication for illnesses. This is not an attempt to give you false hope; it is to inform you that you can allow yourself to try something different and be open minded enough to see if it works for you.

Why not try tapping into your body’s natural ability to heal? You have nothing to lose.

There are many, many articles written on this subject going back thousands of years. So why have I chosen to write about this subject as well? By doing so, I believe I am renewing the core message with fresh energy as others have done before me. 

----oooo0000oooo----

Todays video is another from the origins of the band I play for "Beggars' Belief". This was recorded a couple of years ago, long before I joined the band. The song "Roots" is one we still perform today. A political, anti war song. Enjoy!