#100 The Art Of Listening

 I was doing something mundane, like the dishes, when I felt a proverbial tap on my left shoulder. With it, a horse I knew, Topaz, came into my mind.  "What about the rib?" he asked me. Topaz and his person had been on the phone with me a week prior. Topaz was worried about going into the wash stall. When I tuned in to him, he told me, "Slippery, slippery!" Due to an old injury, he was concerned about slipping. During that call, Topaz also pointed out that a rib on his left side was out of alignment. His person, a veterinarian and chiropractor, said she would check and fix it.  So, I was surprised to hear from Topaz asking about his rib while I was doing the dishes a week later. I knew his person would have checked it right away, but Topaz insisted, "What about the rib?" So I texted his person:  Topaz is nudging me. I wonder if you checked out his left rib cage and if you noticed anything. She answered:   Yes, I did and it was ok. I can check him again tomorrow. I answered:  He keeps pointing to his left side, and I wonder if anything is stuck there. Just keep an eye on it. The next day, I received a text.  Guess who had a rib out, left-hand side #cantmakethishsitup  Being genuinely heard means that the one listening is mindful of receiving it. My animal clients don't just reach out to me like that.  I have good boundaries around that. I am present with the animal during our phone session. After that, I am present with something or someone else.  I am not an open channel. Can you imagine? I would lose my mind if I heard animals coming in left and right. Animals wouldn't do that out of respect.  But Topaz knew his person could help, so he was persistent. In that case, I will listen—closely—because listening builds trust. Show notes available here:https://www.mindful-connections.com/post/100-the-art-of-listening