I listen to my children, to my partner, my friends and my clients. Listening is one of those skills that seems obvious but actually takes skill. I cannot think about what is for supper or daydream, I must be quiet in my mind and concentrate on who I am listening to.
My lesson in listening came to me a few years ago, let me set the scene:
It was a rainy Friday night in England. We where eating our dinner when there was a knock on our front door. I opened the door and there stood a patient of mine with another woman; who was crying. The patient asked to please see her friend right now. I checked with my family and showed the woman into my clinic.
She told me her story of how she had not been well for the last 5 years since her fathers death. She was not interested in working, relationships or anything. She cried and cried throughout the entire session. As I sat there listening to her the thought that she was dying kept coming to me, I did not know why: there was nothing to suggest that she was dying, not physical symptoms, no recent problems, nothing. However, I could not shake this thought. So at the end of the session I gave her the remedies and told her that she must make a choice: to choose life or choose death.
Now this was a scary thing to say to her (anyone) but I knew I had no choice: I had to tell her what I felt was important to her healing.
I did not hear from her until a week or so later, I thought I had probably 'lost' her as a patient. She called me and told me a most incredible story: that same night she left me she was rushed into hospital and diagnosed with a blood disorder (of which there had been only 4 in the world!), she was put into a hospital bed OPPOSITE the bed her father had died in 5 years previously! She remembered what I had advised her and repeated all the time "I want life". She came out of hospital completely recovered and ready to pursue her dreams and life.
Since this event I have begun to listen to myself as well!
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