Stop Listening and Start Listening
Every morning come rain or shine, I go out for a walk with my dog and even before I leave the house, I am aware of the weather. Is it raining, if so, do I need waterproofs? Is it frosty, if so, do I need a heavier jacket, what footwear do I put on because the ground may be wet, muddy, slippy but the one thing I do day in and day out is to put headphones on and decide what music I want to listen to on my walk. This can be sad and introspective, it can be happy and upbeat or it could be an eclectic mix and it seems that the music I listen to can affect my mood OR does my mood affect what I listen to?
Off I go in my own little world with the music playing in my head and it is strange, sometimes I find myself singing out loud, forgetting that others outside of my 'world' have no idea what I am listening to. I feel like I am playing a part in a musical where I am the only actor and everything else is one step removed.
Regardless, I am always acutely aware of what I see. The weather, perhaps some deer, a fox, some rabbits and then as I stomp off down by the riverbank to the beat of the sounds in my ears, I may be lucky enough to see the otters fishing for their breakfast but I am always guaranteed a wealth of native birds, on the river, in the trees and flying overhead.
Today, my headphones had no charge. Today, I didn't get the lead part in the musical. Today, it was foggy and I couldn't see very far and certainly couldn't see any of the wildlife that normally surrounded me. Today, it was just me, my dog and my thoughts, and then, I had a huge moment where I realised what I had been missing out on. The cacophony of natural sounds, the sound of so many different birds singing, cawing of crows, quacking of ducks, the incredible bird song of our native species. It was absolutely incredible.
Tomorrow, I will leave my headphones at home, tomorrow I will listen to the natural sounds that surround me each and every day because I realised that when one sense is inhibited, the other senses compensate and you can tune into a whole new world that has been there all along.
Sometimes, the smallest change in behaviour can lead to the biggest changes in our lives.
What changes would you like to make that will change the way you live your life going forward?
Email me at info@room101therapy.com to discuss how I may be able to help you make those changes