“If you are lonely when you’re alone, you are in bad company.” It wouldn’t be odd to say that this quote seems a little off. Really, who wouldn’t be lonely when they’re alone? Isn’t the very essence of loneliness the feeling one feels when they are, in fact, alone? And how could you possibly be
Year: 2018
Free
The girl lifted her head to look at the mountain towering before her, the light drizzle caressing her face as she inhaled the crisp cool air. Soon, she would be free. Free and flying like a bird, and there was no turning back. Nobody could stop her now. *** Everyday, the girl would return to
With hope in their hearts
Parenting is one of the toughest jobs on the planet. As a parent, it is our primary responsibility to ensure that our children are happy, healthy and safe. No parent wants to see their child hurt. No parent wants to see their child suffering or going through a difficult time. As long as they are
How to decrease misunderstandings and increase cooperation by listening to understand
“Most People Don’t Listen With the Intent to Understand – They Listen With The Intent To Respond” – Stephen Covey I agree with Stephen Covey’s quote wholeheartedly. I’ve seen a lot of examples of this in my job as an interviewer for a third-party insurance underwriting company and in my personal life. I’m also guilty
Turn Prisons Into Schools
“He who opens a school door, closes a prison.” – Victor Hugo It is pre-eminent to define these two important words in the quote to pave the way towards one’s understanding. A school is an institution designed to provide learning spaces and a learning environment for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers,
Learning French
“Most people don’t listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply.” – Stephen R. Covey In teaching us a foreign language, my high school French teacher didn’t want us just to listen and understand – he wanted us to reply! The class was a revelation – Bernie F., our teacher,
The Edge
I tread carefully over the gravel and debris that covers the cliff top. As I reach the edge I can feel my backpack becoming heavier and heavier. Like my thoughts it’s weighing me down. I let it go. The fluorescent thing falls to the ground and my toes curl in my heavy boots. I clench
Unbroken Chains
“He who opens a school door, closes a prison.” – Victor Hugo. Victor Hugo also said, “Rich minds think before they act, rich souls love before they hate, and people rich in both do not go to prison.” Grace was born in the late sixties in a country that did not care about her education.
The art of being lonely
The idea of being lonely stems from the concept of being alone. If you are without people around you or with people you do not particularly connect with, you are alone. If you are upset about being alone, then you would be considered lonely. Fairly simple, yes? Not quite. See, this concept does not take
When the Land is Safer than the Water
“you have to understand, that no one puts their children in a boat unless the water is safer than the land” (Warsan Shire) We have to understand, in the words of Warsan Shire, that nobody puts their children in a situation that is dangerous unless they have no other choice. The poet reminds those of
The Art of Listening
Listening is a talent just like drawing a picture. It takes practice. Today’s generation isn’t taught to listen with the intent to hear and learn, just to regurgitate fiction and repeat. Today’s generation can’t hear over the “hear me, see me, be me” selfie poses. Instantly gratified by a thumbs up or smiley emoji response.
He Who Opens A School Door, Closes A Prison
Over the years, human society has been unfair to unlettered jailbirds. We often show unschooled convicts the way to the prison yard faster than we helped them read a school signboard when they were younger. We never asked ourselves: what if he had been to school? Would he have been a prisoner or a president?
Listening to Understand
Listening is an art form. For some it is a natural ability, for others it takes a bit more practice to get good at it. It is in listening completely, overriding the natural instinct to create your next reply before fully hearing the other person out, that I believe leads to Stephen R Covey’s statement
The Unification of Ideas
In this time more than any; with social media, a pressure on popularity, and the polarization of political views, it seems that the sharing of ideas focuses more on voicing a lone opinion that cannot deviate from the original idea. The quote by Stephen R. Covey: “Most people don’t listen with the intent to understand;
The Search for Validation
Everyone wants their viewpoint to be heard. We want recognition, validation, the opportunity to say, “I was right”. Perhaps this is why although we may actually hear what is being said to us, we don’t really take it all in or fully absorb the message. Stephen R. Covey stated that “Most people don’t listen with
Listening with Empathy is the Key to Understanding
“Most people don’t listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply” (Stephen R. Covey) The quote is from Stephen Covey’s best-selling book, 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, where Habit 5 states, Seek first to understand, then to be understood. While listening is a necessary step towards understanding, the intent
The talking that ain’t heard, and my frustrations about it
A long ago, I was sitting at a bar with some friends. I had tried to engage in the chatting, but observation became far more interesting. Like a ping-pong ball, I turned my head back and forth, following the conversation that was intending to be a debate. – But you gotta understand that… – But,
Listening Loudly
We can hear the footfalls of a millipede next to our tent. Six miles to the southwest we also hear the clattering of ceramic plates and the clinking of wine glasses. People are laughing. The atmosphere carries no moisture here, but still brings these voices across the Grand Canyon. My son and I sit absolutely
Independence: It’s a Personal Process
Toxic wholesomeness. A straight oxymoron that describes the end result of every relationship that is based on complete co-dependency. A contradictory statement which summarizes just how crooked the path of a person whose fulfilment and company lies fully in the hands of another can be. There is nothing wrong with being reliant on somebody or
The blind and the elephant
Injustice and justice differ from one village to another, from one town to another, by ethical injunctions and from one political sovereignty to another. What may seem as unfair or undeserving treatment in one clime might be the beginning of justice and its outcomes in another clime and vis-à-vis. As injustice is the hypothesis of