In Native American culture, they have what they call Talking Circles. They come together in group to discuss things. However, there are rules they abide by. They are not written anywhere, they are just known. They are rules one is raised with. I have been told that one of the foremost rules is about listening. It is said you can tell a lot about a person by how well they listen.
In these Talking Circles they openly discuss problems, they seek solutions, share feelings and experiences. It is believed that listening to one another honors the Divine within each person. So when a speaker it is interrupted, it is an act of dishonoring. It brings dishonor to the person and reflects poorly on how they were raised. As a result, it also brings dishonor to the family, Tribe, Clan, and Nation.
While there is definitely talking going on in these circles, there is also much listening. They realize and teach that when you are talking you are not listening. When a person interrupts you, then they are not respecting you. So what if we began to speak with the recognition of the Sacred power that comes with our words. What if we moved our speaking switch from auto pilot to self reflect mode. What if we tried to stay in touch with the weight of each word we speak? Is each word we speak in Oneness with the Divine or are we speaking out of sync with the Divine? Who am I speaking for, myself or for the Divine?
I realize that the Native Americans call these Talking Circles because they are a place to come and talk through things. However, for me they could also be called Listening Circles because what they remind participants to do is to come and listen. Listening as well as talking are gifts from the Divine and reflections of the presence of the Sacred within us. What are your listening skills saying about you? What are mine saying about me?