“The first duty of love is to listen.” – Paul Tillich
In the movie, Hector and the Search for Happiness, Hector – a bored London psychiatrist – travels the world looking for the meaning of happiness. Along the way, he scribbles and sketches the key points he discovers in his nifty travel diary.
While flying to Africa, he lovingly assists a fellow passenger whose brain is about to explode due to the impact of the high altitude pressure on her medical condition. Hector directs the pilot to fly at a lower elevation, relieves her pain by applying a cold compress to her head, and listens to her story.
When Hector questions the effectiveness of his help, she says, “Listening is loving.” Continue reading “Listening is loving”
“If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.” ~ Dalai Lama
While growing up, I was almost always surrounded by loving friends, who stood by me in thick and thin. I really never knew the pain or anguish of being friendless or disliked. As a libran and as my super intelligent Daddy’s little girl, the few outgoing and conversational qualities I possessed were constantly in use helping me to be well, Liked. But, as I grew up and started understanding life and all its intricacies, I came to a startling realization…..not everyone ‘feels’ liked or loved. Notice I said, not everyone ‘feels’ liked or loved….cause everyone is loved and liked in reality, we just don’t accept and love ourselves enough to embrace that fact. 
