Alchemy: A seemingly magical process of transformation, creation, or combination; (Oxford Dictionary)
So what is the alchemy of listening? Thoughts! Yes, thoughts. What do we continue to listen to over and over and over again, all day long? Our thoughts! Even though we are not able to hold them in our hands or see them with our eyes. We usually think of them as immaterial. Therein lies the mischief. A quote from Abraham”…you give birth to a thought, and this thought now thinks, now exists, now has been conjured, now has been focused, now vibrates, now vibrationally attracts other thoughts to it…the expansion is immediate”. I often get asked the question: “how do I stop thinking this way? The thoughts just keep coming back?” The answer is we keep bringing the thoughts back. How often have we said to ourselves,”I’m not going to think about that right now?”and we don’t. We push those thoughts out of our thinking! Surprise, surprise, we stopped thinking about the subject or object. Alchemy – turning something common into something special – stop thinking about it! How? Focus on what’s right in front of you now.
There is the drama cycle in the listening work that is done in the Institute. The drama cycle consists of three components. The components are thought, feeling, action. These components are repeated four times. It is important to know how to break the drama cycle in order to have an exit strategy from the drama. Many of us are a “drama-waiting-to-happen”. Meaning we are quickly “triggered” by something someone said or did. We have a “thought” (that we’re listening to) about the incident, followed by feelings, followed by action. This entire process is taking place through “listening” to the thoughts we’re having about what took place (past tense). Change your thoughts, your feelings change, followed by a change in action. Presto! Alchemy. Changing something common (drama) to something special (freedom from stress/actions that don’t serve). Simple? Yes. Easy? No! Alchemy of listening takes practice.
Here’s homework: take seven minutes per day to be as selective with your thoughts as you are with the people you choose to be private. Practice “listening”to whether the thought serves (energizes you) or oppresses you (drains your energy). Ask yourself the question: “does this thought I’m listening to serve now?” Allow the answer to be your guide. As the leaves turn color this fall, turn your thoughts into those that you listen to that serve and inspire you! That’s the alchemy of listening!
