By Karen
A lot of good information, stories and advice come from the least likely of place as. I can think back in my life and agree I’ve heard it all. As hard as I try to stay social, there are always people who are ready to talk. And more often then not – I am right there to listen.
I was once in with a group of people at Spring Mountain Intensive Outpatient Treatment Program. It was large in part a group of people that were about to learn Mindfulness. I remember our Psychologist like it was yesterday. Her name was Dr. Carol. What a great lady.
She was a very dedicated Psychologist, too. And she once had to raise her voice just a little and said, “…one at time, don’t talk over each other. This is a very active group.” I nodded my head and agreed. When you have an active group of people, which is a collection of individuals, Group Therapy is bound to be good.
Most of the times, she ran the Group and we all went around in a circle and had our chance to speak. But there were times, too. Where once of us couldn’t help but speak right out.
No me, my conversations and most of the words out of my mouth were all about working and earning money. My standard conversation and topic of discussion. I always equated hard work with earning good money. As I have know this, and lived this life in my past.
There was a new man, that joined our Group later on, and I sort of took a liking to him since the beginning. He was very sad, and carried this air of doom and just this sadness about himself. And I will add this was not a quiet man. He started right out and told all of us, that he was here to feel something again after the passing of his wife.
All of his stories and tears were all about her, and the life that they spent together. That was a first time for me, to see first hand how affected a man was after his wife’s passing. It actually made me a little sad, too. Just to hear the stories about her, and see through his words speak of such love and affection.
We kind of made friends, because I think that he sensed, that I was compassionate and attentive to people and their stories.
Then it was my turn to speak. Like the broken record that I am. And I started talking about working and making money. As is that was the only thing in life to do. I rambled on to all of the listening earns.
My new friend, finally looked right at me and said, “….if you loved what you did, you’d do it for free.”
After that statement, I shut my mouth.
I I just sat there thinking, he’s right.
How brilliant and timeless that little pearl of wisdom was. And how I so appreciated how he said this to me. And since that time, I have worked on and off, but it’s finally a time in my life, where I am working for free.
Exactly what I love doing, too.
He would be happy to report that his little pearl of wisdom just entire changed his compassionate and attentive listeners motivation.
Cheers my friend.