Most adults attend a lot of meetings on a regular basis. In nearly all “repeating meetings there are a few folks missing from time to time. Whether we think about it or not this creates a shift in the group dynamic and while some folks will say the same things they have been saying for years, some people will grow silent because one of their allies is missing.
So, a couple of years ago I started to listen for the silence. That is … what isn’t being said in meetings…what we are afraid to talk about and the level of anxiety being both avoided and enhanced by the silence.
On a personal basis I try to ask myself “what would I say if I felt exactly the opposite of this on this topic?” That’s how I sometimes find a bridgett a reasonable conversation. Sometimes I can’t bring myself to ask that… but I’m trying harder to do so.
It really seems that if we are to find peace and joy in the group setting, it might be time to ask what is it I’m not hearing? /who am I not hearing from, and most importantly how loud is the silence whena decision is made. Joyful decisions are often made with a lot of noise and peaceful decisions usually come over time.
Are we listening for the chimes of peace and joy
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