Whenever people seem to struggle, and I’m listening in, I desire to give them a golden egg. An idea so new, so innovative, that it would solve their struggle in seconds, just like in the movies. But I give not a single one.
I still think of many ideas to help them, but these days, I say not a word about my seemingly golden eggs. It’s because of my belief; that whoever it is I’m listening to, they’ve already had enough “golden eggs” imposed upon them. How can I say my ideas will be any different? So I tell myself they might need support, not inspiration. And with that, I focus even harder on being there with open ears and tentative guesses. Put bluntly, I’ve decided to listen with renewed effort rather than unload my ideas on them.
I often find that, by the time they’ve let out everything with me, a sense of trust in me seems to come from them. Sometimes, they even seem more confident in planning ways out of their struggles. Afterward, I wonder, “Would my ideas have helped?”. I might never know if the ideas would’ve helped. Hell, I’m unsure if I even helped by trying to listen. Finally, amidst all of this, my sole comfort whispers “At least they weren’t alone”.
© Norman Oaks