Conversations: Dancing with Words

The dance is a poem of which each movement is a word.
Mata Hari

I guess I could say I’m a conversationologist.

Yes, I made that word up.

I find myself most days listening to clients talk about their conversations with themselves, or others. These conversations are typically upsetting to my clients. The content is either self or other directed with the client either stuck in the past, or projecting into the future. As my clients talk patterns appear. Habits that have become so familiar that my client is completely unaware of them. As I reflect, and ask questions, the client’s awareness begins to shift. The client shifts to a neutral, present moment awareness that the conversation is no longer personal but transformative, yielding data. Data about the self, and data about the other. Noticing is heightened, intimacy increased, and the power of what lies behind the words evolves into a deeper understanding of the self, and other.

 Conversations become dances of graceful swoops, meaningful pauses, and spiraling insights formed from words that are heard, pondered, reflected, and responded to in understanding honesty, and kindness. These rewarding conversations are neutral without judgment, and occur in this moment.  Judgment dissipates, only the moment exists in true connection. Meaning, understanding and connecting with oneself, or with others are truly conversations to create, collect, and treasure.

How are your conversations going? Not well? Contact me.