DARING TO BE ME (# 15 )

EARS
In high school, years ago,
a wise teacher planted
a seed in my mind,
that, sadly, I should have
paid more attention to.
She said, "We've been given
two ears and one tongue,
which means we need to
listen twice as much
as we talk."
COMMUNICATION.
Communication, especially the
factor of listening is attributed
as the cause of many, if not most,
breakups, disagreement, and  
hurts among couples.
I used to say in the midst
of heated words, when asked,
"Did you hear me?", I would answer
"YES! I heard you!"
But I wasn't
LISTENING
to the voice tone, pain,
hurt, and other signals
in the words. I was responding
out of my bias, prejudiced, and
self-defense mechanisms.
When someone sends me a word
they do so with their meaning behind it,
when I receive it I decode it through
my meaning. We may be miles apart.
For example, I can send a book
to London and it arrives as a book;
I can send out a word and it will
not arrive with the meaning I sent it with.
EXAMPLE.
Take the letter U, it has no power
Take the letter G, it has no power
Take the letter L, it has no power
Take the letter Y, it has no power
BUT
when we put them together they form
UGLY, and we give the word power.
We do this with all words...  
WE give them their power.
As I dare to become a better ME,
I will really listen, not just hear,
but REALLY listen with pure,
loving, and honesty.