Morning Has Broken

I witness the mutual grooming of two pigeons from my home office window. They are oblivious to my presence and watchful eyes as their grooming culminates in mating. So must the gods witness the adventures of my heart and how they unfold into ecstatic flight.

"Saborea todas las sorpresas que trae la vida y, a cambio, la vida te traerá más y más bellas sorpresas."

Reflexión para el 5 de diciembre del libro Reflexiones en la Luz de Shakti Gawain

No tricks for me tonight, only treats. An exchange of apple cider vinegar for arnica and gordolobo and then a cup of green tea over great conversation were a wonderful way to start the evening.

I woke up to feed my dogs this morning and found one of them dead. It looks like someone tried to poison my dogs. The others managed to throw everything up but Sirio didn’t. The worst part is waiting for the vet’s office to open to make the arrangements to have him picked up and cremated. This is certainly not how I hoped to start my day.

 

I’ve decided that today is the day. My man fast starts today. The goal is to continue on this fast at least until January 2010.

After two chapters of Women Who Love Too Much, it’s become clear that I need to focus on myself, nurture myself, love myself. I’m already eating better, I’ve cut down on my coffee intake, and am working on making it to bed earlier each night. This man fast is just one more factor of this process of self-development.

A glass of red wine and Pink Floyd - a wonderful combination for some alone time this Friday night. Well, there’s homework involved too. With a busy weekend ahead, I must take advantage of my Friday evening to do homework. That’s the beauty of online classes!

Reconciliations are nice. Often times they occur after a rollercoaster ride of intense emotions, unpleasant experiences, hurtful exchanges of words, and unpredictable behaviors. Few are able to get off that rollercoaster ride steady on their feet and overcome the disappointment and resentment. I admire and envy those fortunate few. To those of you who have risen above your differences and hurt, my best wishes in your journey to a new beginning.

Here are some very helpful tips to improve communication skills:

4 Ways to Fix Communication Breakdowns

There is no doubt that good communication is a skill few possess and not many care to polish. It is not simply saying what’s on your mind. It requires active listening and effective speaking to convey and receive clear and complete messages in the exchange of ideas and experiences.

A recent conversation I had left me thinking about people’s different communication styles. In that conversation I was about to share something when the other person bluntly said, "I’m not interested". I honestly don’t know whether to admire that person’s honesty or to lament the lack of tact.  Quite frankly I was hurt and disappointed by those words.

Since then I’ve wondered just how many times my conversations have bored that person. Has that person also found my questions on numerous occasions annoying? But, if I’ve patiently and courteously sat and listened to that person’s stories, even when they were not of particular interest to me, was it too much to expect the same be done for me?

Since this is not the first unpleasant conversation I have with this person, perhaps I should finally accept that we have incompatible communication styles and preferences. Just as that person might not see anything wrong the use of short, blunt responses, I see questions as a basic component of conversations. I mean, how else will you get to know people and appreciate situations better, especially if the others in the conversation don’t offer much information voluntarily?

It’s Labor Day weekend, the unofficial end of summer. I’m glad to report that I have made it to the beach this summer, even if only once. Maybe I will make it there again tomorrow after stopping by the arts festival going on in the area this weekend. For now, lots of fruit and water to stay hydrated and cool.