Hearing or Listening

                                                         "There's a lot of difference 

between listening and hearing."

G.K. Chesterton

We may be aware of music playing in the background of a store, but chances are we are not really listening.  Our attention is spread between the jewelry we see or the material of clothing we touch or the fragrances of aromatherapy.   Our minds may also be distracted by tasks left incomplete or people who make demands upon us.  

The same applies when people are conversing.  We may be looking directly at them, but our minds might be in a thousand places.  We do not get the urgency of their information nor the sense of pain in  their voice.  We are not fully present in the moment.

When we listen, it is an entirely different experience!  We see the excitement in the eyes, the emotion on the face and the intensity of the voice.  When we open our hearts, we can discern the deeper meaning in the communication.  We find ourselves with a new understanding  of who the speaker truly is and where their voice is coming from.  With listening fully, a connection or bond is strengthened, and we may be touched by something new.