�Who Says You Can�t Teach an Old Dog a New Trick or Two�

A lawyer and a senior citizen are sitting next to each other on a long flight.

The senior reaches into his pocket, hands the lawyer $5.00, and goes back to sleep.

Open ended questions almost always lead to fictional answers. The hardest thing we must learn in the art of communication is that others do not think the same as we do and while clarity in delivering our comments or questions requires additional effort on the part of the speaker, the results for the most part end up providing what we were indeed seeking.

There was a man who had four sons. He wanted his sons to learn not to judge things too quickly. So he sent them each on a quest, in turn, to go and look at a pear tree that was a great distance away.

Don’t let the pain of one season destroy the joy of all the rest. Don’t judge life by one difficult season. Persevere through the difficult patches and better times are sure to come some time or later.

Author Unknown

So true of the way we as human’s tend to view life -from our immediate perspective. Needing to be right when in fact there is an excellent chance that the other person is every bit as accurate in their perception as we are in ours. Wisdom is the to ability to consider the possibility that there is a great deal more involved in all situations, than meets the eye.

We have long known that physical touch is a way of communicating emotional love. Numerous research projects in the area of child development have reached that conclusion: Babies who are held, hugged, and kissed develop a healthier emotional life than those who are left for long periods of time without physical contact.

Physical touch is also a powerful vehicle for communicating marital love. Holding hands, kissing, embracing, and sexual intercourse are all common ways of communicating emotional love to one’s spouse. For some individuals, physical touch is their primary love language. Without it they feel unloved. With it, their emotional tank is filled, and they feel secure in the love of their spouse.

Don’t make the mistake of believing that the touch that brings pleasure to you will bring pleasure to her.

Gary Chapman – The 5 Love Languages

After reading this book and consciously taking steps to apply what I’d read to my daily interactions with my sons, my parents and friends, I was amazed at the positive impact they were having.

That being said the love language of “Physical Touch” had never been a strong suit of mine. OK – I’m a guy so sex and any foreplay to get to sex was pretty much what I believed to be the extent of touching. Holding hands, walking arm in arm or sitting close – well they never really crossed my mind – WHY – because “I” felt uncomfortable doing it. But after reading this book I’m aware that “Physical Touch” is important to one of my sons. So even though it may feel strange to me I throw the occasional arm around his shoulder and if you think this is all hog wash – come and catch a glimpse of the smile that erupts on his face each time I give this simple little gesture of love.

Just because one love language is the furthest thing from my mind – doesn’t mean it’s not the number one priority to the person I am interacting with.

Yesterday I was faced with one of those moments that just seemed to catch me off guard. I guess I could plead ignorance or I could list a multitude of excuses why it’s not my problem, but if I did I wouldn’t grow as a person and I wouldn’t be practicing the forgiveness and compassion I have committed to work on.

So the best thing I can do now is ask myself – What was my part? Well obviously I wasn’t listening compassionately to that person when they were first calling out for help and so I wasn’t there (meaning my thoughts were in other places) when they needed me most. Now I can hear many people saying hey you can only do what you can do – yes that is true if I am content to continue on in life the way I have lived in my past – but that’s not what I want – I really want to become a better person and that means I must be present (not only in body – but in all senses as well) when I am talking to people, thus listening with compassion and without thinking of what I will say in return or how there words might apply to my life.

In fact I want to be a flower in the desert – now I know this may sound strange to some – but I really want to be there for those whose life I enter – I know I will stumble along the way and I know I will never meet the expectations of some – BUT as Yogi Berra once said, “If you don’t know where you are going, you might wind up someplace else.”

I’d hate to set my goals to low and then reach them!

Inspiration comes from may sources and in the most amazing ways when you open your eyes and heart to allow it in.

Flower In The Desert

by Loki

This happened many many summers ago.

There was a young flower in the desert where all was dry and sad looking…It was growing by itself…enjoying every day…and saying to the sun “When shall I be grown up”? And the sun would say “Be patient”—Each time I touch you,you grow a little”…And she was so pleased.Because she would have a chance to bring beauty to this corner of sand…And this is all she wanted to do—bring a little bit of beauty to this world.

One day the hunter came by—and stepped on her.—She was going to die—and she felt so sad.Not because she was dying —but because she would not have a chance to bring a little bit of beauty to this corner of the desert.

The great spirit saw her, and was listening.—Indeed,he said …She should be living…And he reached down and touched her—and gave her life.

And she grew up to be a beautiful flower…and this corner of the desert became so beautiful because of her.

www.spiritual-endeavors.org

One of the readers sent this to me – so it is my pleasure to add it to this post