One Little Word – Listen

The last two years I have held onto the word balance to  use it to help me slow down, enjoy the world and refresh from 40 years of teaching. Now it is time to hold that word in the back of my mind and move forward with a new word – listen.

Tara, from Two Writing Teachers, helped me find my OLW for this year. She doesn’t know it but thank you. I was reading her post this week and thought – I to need focus and have used this word before but that really isn’t it – not quite. I think I need to really listening this year. Tara end her post with this line –

“Only then could I read between the lines of what she was saying – to listen, rather than hear…to be in the moment and fully present.”

It is that reading between the line. The really listening to what is being said or felt that is so important.

I have used that phrase with students over and over – we need to do more than just hear – we need to listen. The definition also leads us to the difference.

• Listen: give one’s attention to a sound.
• Hear: perceive with the ear the sound made by (someone or something).

The key is in the giving one’s attention – that is what I need to do this year.  I need to give my attention to – to really listen to my thoughts, my reading and my writing. This is a year to define where I am going in my writing and my living.

So very exciting!

It is exciting to have digital friends, and close by friends who help us find our way!  Friends to listen to!

I love writing communities!  Thanks Two Writing Teachers and the wider community. I am listening!