Listening is opening
to what is possible,
not a narrowing
to keep it within comfortable limits.

Listening is being
generous with your heart,not critical with your mind.

Listening is allowing
a creative exchange to develop at its own speed,
not an urgency to be heard.

Listening is letting
the point make itself,
not working it around to be what you think you need.

Listening is letting the moment be what it is

Listening is knowing
the power in communication
lives in listening
not speaking.

Listening is letting
the inside of the conversation speak,
letting the silence of what is not said be as loud as he noise of what is

Listening is allowing
each new expression
to fully have its own truth and be unique unto itself.

Listening is knowing
that when it is time to speak you speak to the listening available
not what you hoped it would be.

Listening is knowing
that only listening enables a conversation
to come into present time.

Listening is feeling
and allowing its depth to penetrate your heart.

Listening is becoming
a student of the obvious.

Listening is relaxing
into the wisdom of forever.

Listening is knowing you ARE and that that is not in question.

Listening is Being
and knowing the gift that is.

-- Tom Lutes

To grow in wisdom one must overcome the urge to contract back into what is familiar and instead actively risk dynamic new learning. Wisdom comes to one who has not stopped in the pursuit of their own development as a person. As such they bring a particular depth of consciousness to every situation, forged out of staying awake in both the difficulties and beauties of life.

The real game of personal change is played from the inside out; constantly seeking, recognizing and honoring that which brings vitality and renewal. This perspective means co-creating our evolution with Spirit, through consciously taking responsibility for our growth and learning - mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually. This involves embracing the process of shedding old identities and generating new ones. In order to evoke change one must be willing to explore both the limitations and the power of one’s perspective, habits and beliefs.

Growing ourselves into authentic maturity involves integrating information until it becomes knowledge. When knowledge is embodied it seasons into wisdom. Yet, you and I have met plenty of old people who are not in a state of wisdom. They just got old. Nothing changed. Same attitude, same narrow mind, same rigid outlook toward life.

As we get older the need for certainty and stability can increasingly supplant the wonder of discovery. In this state communication becomes more covered and calculated, less raw and nakedly open. Control and habit take over where once was creativity and openness. The overwhelming urge can be to stand pat with the old same answer, rather than stand tall in a new and more inspiring question. Sometimes you need to initiate change not just wait for it to happen.

meditation at dawn