"It is only with the heart that one can see rightly;
what is essential is invisible to the eye."
Antoine de Saint-Expuery
Visualize the phone ringing and upon answering, a friend says, "I''m in trouble!" We do not see if she has just had an accident, flipped off her boss, or broken her vow to never eat chocolate again. When we allow our hearts to open we register what emotion is present, and our response will typically be authentic and respectful.
Visualize being in the grocery store and a small child is vigorously licking an ice cream cone and the creamy ball escapes and rolls across the dirty floor. The child of course is shedding crocodile tears. Imagine what response would be prompted ... yell at the child, turn the other way or compassionately bend to help the toddler?
Our heart contributes to our responses. Much depends on how deeply we allow communication to process. If we respond with rapid fire, we are shouting things off the top of our head; whereas, if we stay in the moment, listening without judgment, our response will be heartfelt. This does not ensure either a positive or negative response. From the heart, we are more capable of replying with respect and compassion.
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