Today just nearly got away with me, before I remembered I had not posted to Secrets to Peace.

I have been doing energy healing and spiritual counseling since 1997 when I took my first Reiki class. One of the things I think I do, really well, is to listen. I Listen without input on what needs to be done, that is. Sometimes when someone is really caught up in their story, I may see their energy field depleting as they are telling it. At these times I utter a quiet prayer.

I hold this in prayer in my mind when my own thoughts sway toward judgment or I find myself wanting to fix the other person. This is the prayer, I remember, when a client begins reciting past hurts, which are well committed to their memory. Even though I am open-hearted and open-minded, (most of the time) habitual regurgitation of one’s destructive story causes me to struggle to simply dwell in love

Here is my little prayer:                                                          

You smile

     obviously suppressing pain

Yet you can’t wait

     to share your grief.

I have learned more about you

     in five minutes

Than I know about others

     after many hours.

I must avoid

     placing you in a box,

Failing to listen

     in my egoic knowing.

May I be fully present

    loving the truth of who you are

Corralling my tendency

      to judge, to qualify.

Even though I do not, while listening, start thinking of ways to help my client, I do remind them, once they are done telling their stories, that they are not the stories which they tell. They are the witness to the stories. They are the thought power which decides the aspects of the stories to be included in the retelling and which parts to leave out.

It always amazes me how much people rely on the past for a present identity.

There are several writers I would like to quote here, but since I have only twenty minutes to get this out and still make it before midnight and since my cat is fighting me for the keyboard I am going to close with the reminder to all of you. WE are not our stories. We are so very much more.

Be Peace and use this prayer when a friend is locked up in her story and you are having to work to remain non-judgmental.

Much Love to all of you.