Today’s Mandala Message: Let Others Finish Speaking Before Taking Your Turn
This week I’m working through Principle #49 from Jack Canfield’s “The Success Principles” entitled “Have a Heart Talk”. I set my intention today to ponder the agreements of a Heart Talk. Canfield suggests bringing 2-10 people together for a Heart Talk. He then states: “Start by asking people to sit in a circle or around a table. Introduce the basic agreements, which include these:”
- “Only the person holding the heart talks
- You don’t judge or criticize what anyone else has said
- You pass the object to the left after your turn
- You talk about how you feel
- You keep the information confidential
- You don’t leave the talk until it’s declared complete.”
The “heart” can be any object which goes around the circle. When it has made a complete circle without anyone having something to say, the Heart Talk is considered complete. In this video, Canfield explains the technique at 2:30.
I like the agreements and they seem like a good practice whenever we’re talking with other people (except for maybe passing an object around). I appreciate the idea of the circle however if you’re having to wait your turn around the circle to talk, it maybe challenging to focus on what the others are saying before the object gets to you.
Obviously if it’s a smaller group of 2-5 people, this may not be an issue; but if there are up to ten people, it could be more difficult. Also with fewer people it may feel safer to speak than with a larger group…especially if you’re not close to or familiar with the other people in the circle. IMHO
I’m going to delve deeper into some of the other agreements over the next few days.
A good mindfulness practice would be to practice letting other people finish speaking before taking your turn.
So how about you? Do you let others finish speaking before you speak? Do you ever catch yourself interrupting someone who’s speaking? Do others tend to interrupt you?
“We try so hard
— Colleen Hoover
to hide everything
we’re really feeling
from those who probably need
to know our true feelings the most.
People try to bottle up their emotions,
as if it’s somehow wrong
to have natural reactions to life.”
Blessings,
Maureen
The Mandala Lady
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