Hello From A Not So Sunny Spain

I imagined I’d starting this blog with the words, “Hello from sunny Spain!” looking out on a beautiful view of the beach or the mountains from my hotel window. I have seen the mountains, but today they are completely hidden underneath heavy, black clouds. The rain has eased for a moment, but there’s a promise of more to come.

But it doesn’t matter. Honestly, nothing can alter the fact that I’m absolutely happy and grateful to be here, despite the weather.

You see, a few days ago I joined a group of beautiful souls who had gathered for a retreat entitled “Perfecting Deep Listening” put together by Sheela Masand and Jack Pransky. So exciting to be with people, in real life rather than remotely on zoom or something similar. Although there is much to be thankful for in the way the world has expanded so much over the past few years, thanks to connecting remotely. The flipside of Covid lock down was the incredible geographical reach of people I met online, which is how I met Sheela, during the Rewilder’s Guide training programme this past winter.

As for Jack Pransky, the opportunity to meet Jack, to listen to, talk to and just be in group with was not to be missed. Jack is the author of several books, but there is one that changed my life and continues to be my most loved book.

It’s called “Somebody Should Have told Us!: Simple Truths for Living Well.” I encourage you to get your hands on a copy and read it.

Anyway, back to Deep Listening. What’s it all about, Jack?

I feel I can admit here that I thought I was going to learn some sort of technique, that there was something I had to do, something new to learn that would enable me to become a better listener. Already I know that listening deeply to someone is a good thing to do, and I think I’m a pretty good listener, but ever ready to learn some magic technique to be even better. To listen more deeply.

Well, I found out it’s true. I am a good listener, in that I already have the ability to listen deeply. But I also found out that I haven’t been using that ability, because my own thinking was interfering with my listening. In a way that I just hadn’t really noticed. The illusion that I was a good listener soon disappeared!!

I’m not going to go into details here about everything I learned, but I will tell you that Deep Listening is available to all of us. It’s about being present with another being with nothing else on your mind. It’s about being fascinated and curious about another being, like you are when you fall in love and you’re totally present with that person, not noticing every word but drawn into the feeling. Imagine if that was possible most of the time, wouldn’t that be incredible?

What is so exciting is that We All Know How To Deep Listen. It’s a natural and simple ability that we all have, and what’s more, getting back in touch with it, accesses that natural wisdom has extraordinary implications. There is really nothing to do, because it’s there for us already. There's more too, because often the person we listen to the least is ourselves.

I would love to talk to you more about Deep Listening, but what I'd like to do instead is offer you the opportunity to be listened to. To have someone listen to you in a way that you feel completely heard .

So, if you have something on your mind that you'd like to talk about and be really heard, then I am offering an opportunity for that to happen. Jump on call with me, for 30 minutes and tell me what's on your mind. Contact me at hello@sharonjcrabbe.com and we'll set up time and let's see where it goes from there. No strings, just a chance to be listened to. Go on, you've nothing to lose.

By the way, I'm also so glad somebody told me.........