The word ‘listening’ conjures up images: a child whispering into its mother’s eyes the secret which a butterfly shared with her while she was playing in the garden, the quiet roar of airwaves inside a seashell, the cacophony of traffic as you travel in a city, the pounding bass of a dance track…
That list is potentially endless, with each person being able to add to it from his or her own experiences and immediate surroundings. But one thing which most of us fail to associate with the act of listening is listening to ourselves.
And that’s curious. Because it’s hard for us to become whole, to heal our inner wounds and find our way towards the light in our darkest hours, unless we listen very closely to the voice that whisper in our heart, the voice of your own self.
You should listen to the self with compassion and attention in equal measure
The importance of listening to the self
What’s been said before isn’t meant to negate the value in consulting with others for guidance and advice when it’s called for. However, even if you have the benefit of the best advisers, the final interpretation of their advice and its practical value to tackle whatever challenge you may be facing is your own prerogative.
This interpretation- or perhaps, assessment is a better term, is significant because depending on it you take an action- be it in favour of or against the advice.
And to hear this interpretation, you need to listen to yourself.
Drowning in the cacophony of the 21st century
According to a 2018 study, globally, people spend on average 67 minutes per day viewing online video content. Note that this data pertains only to online video content. Think about the average time you spend online browsing for information that may be useful for your profession, or on social media platforms conversing with your loved ones or maybe just viewing memes and laughing your heart out. Add this time to the 67 minutes and you can see that the online world eats up a good chunk of your time.
Aside from the time that ends up being spent online like this, there is also the problem of the information you absorbed during the time clamoring inside your mind, growing into a loud noise which drowns out your inner voice- the one that you should listen to the most.
Listening in harmony
Since listening(as opposed to just hearing) is essential to enjoying music, it’s perhaps fitting that the optimal way to listen to yourself is to listen in harmony.
The harmony mentioned here is a kind of oneness you may feel with your own self, to stay attuned to the flow of voice that issues from the core of your self.
According to a brabnch of anicent Indian philosophy, this sort of oneness is the immersion of the jeevatma with the paramatma. These are two aspects of the same self, the former being the listener and the latter that which is heard when you listen.
But the external world is so full of distractions- media being just one major element- that listening to oneself is almost a lost art these days.
We are more attuned to the external world than our inner self, which in effect alienates ourselves from ourselves. The tragedy here is that when we need to hear our own inner voice the most, we are cut off from it.
Listening to self with Vision
This tragedy, to reiterate, makes listening to oneself a lost art.
And it is indeed an art more than a science. Just like bringing up a child is an art than a science. Sure, you may use science in the process- in deciding what food is best for the child, which medicine to give for which ailment and so on. But ultimately, there are no set rules- you simply do the things following the single dictum of the heart: whatever you do, it should be for the child’s best.
In a similar manner, there has to be a single dictum which you should be able to follow, that would help you stay in harmony with yourself. The single dictum would become the basis of your actions. And instead of a rule being imposed from the outside, this dictum issues from your own self.
It is called your True Personal Vision.
True Personal Vision and TVL
It’s the vision that could only be found in yourself, and the realisation of which would transform your personal and professional life for the better. It’s like realising the destination you have to reach when you are lost and wandering aimlessly. It gives direction and purpose to life.
Unfortunately, the cacophonous 21stcentury ensures that this vision remains drowned in your mind, submerged under a veritable ocean of half-formed thoughts and irrelevant information.
So, then, how do you realize True Personal Vision?
Temenos Vision Labor TVL is a unique session developed by Temenos+Agility which helps change agents realize their True Personal Vision which lied buried in a mass of information in your mind. Developed based on 25 years of business consultancy experience, some of the best transformation coaches help guide you to your vision in TVL.
