Taking Notes

… the art of active listening

Notes from conversations, podcasts, therapy and social media.

I’ve been taking notes lately and it’s making a difference. Perimenopause has certainly taken its toll on my memory. Notes are great for that, if you can remember where you put them and to actually look at them. It’s deeper than that. Actively listening to others has a profound effect on our relationships and our own growth.

We can get stuck in our beliefs and our understanding of things. Becoming rigid and unable to have flexibility in conversations. How often do you find yourself poised with a response before the other person is done speaking? Adopting a humble posture in conversations allows us to find hidden treasures.

Those treasures come in the form of new vocabulary, insight into a persons emotions, the skill of expanding our knowledge and so much more. In just a week I have had the pleasure of having some incredible one on one conversations that have given me depth with those relationships, just from listening. There are new authors I want to explore, recipes I want to try and encouragement bestowed on me from truly beautiful people. My vocabulary is enriched and I find myself exploring the interests of others so future conversations can be fuller.

That’s it. The meat of what I am trying to write and express here. The art of conversation. That is the continued goal. To become a skilled artist of conversation. This does not mean dry conversations that are always serious. It means the study of others and the dance that truly gives richness to everyone involved.

Most of my life I have been concerned with others knowing me. Now I crave the knowing of others so much more. Asking questions about what they love. Getting to the heart of who they are. What brings them joy.

Here’s to beautiful conversation notes. Here’s to emptying ourselves enough to gather the beauty of others. To welcome unknown spaces in order to expand and grow with others. I’d love to talk soon.

Xoxo Angela

NOTES:

🖤 been making new playlists 🖤 finished reading The Snow Child, The Memory Police, and Letters From the Desert 🖤 focusing on analog more than digital 🖤 lots of weekend kitchen exploring 🖤 daily reading from Kitchen Meditations for Everyday by Tamar Adler (book cover by my friend Anna Brones from Creative Fuel) 🖤 over the snow and cold 🖤 obsessed with The Quilty Nook 🖤 made a binder for The Analog Life Project with Little Truths