Being Heard

From the Idiosyncradeck, the Queen of Cups; from the Mixed Emotions deck, Resistant:

Distractions are plentiful. And time is short.

~Adam Hochschild

The Queen of Cup has prepared for a visitor's arrival by creating an inviting space that is calm and encourages communication. Humans have a need for being fully engaged with another person - being not only seen, but heard. It is a validating experience to have someone's undivided attention, and it signals that we matter to them. Yet how often do we let the ping of a text message or some other distraction keep us from doing this? Resistant suggests we practice restraint when our mind wants to wander. Instead, we can make eye contact and listen without expectations or feeling the need to advise or fix. We can ask appropriate questions to clarify what was said that we didn't quite understand. We eliminate as many distractions as possible. As David Augsburger wrote, "Being heard is so close to being loved that for the average person they are almost indistinguishable."