Smalltalk
How many times have you spent a year
As “they” spent an hour filling your ear
With the dribble and drabble of their life
The minutest detail of their mundane strife
If only you had a recording tape
And could force them to listen without escape
Did they ever think of the impact
Of stories they shared or their lack of tact
It would be great if we all had a filter
That enabled your mind with an impact sniffer
That way we’d know if our anecdotes
Would mean very much to other folks
Now that I’ve risked being profound
I think I’ll have a slight turn around
The content is not that important so then
The impact remembered is presence and when
The thing that’s recalled after contact
It allures way more than words impact
The smiles warm reception eye contact too
Was there just talking or listening too
How do you make assessments of the people you meet?
What engages you and makes you want more connection?
Have you used the same metric in evaluating your likely impact on others?
Does thinking about this motivate any behavior change on your part?
– Stewart Levine ©
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I have always been a seeker, always looking for the answers to what seekers ponder. I can remember Dr. Maxwell Maltz and Psychocybernetics; Dr. Carl Rogers On Becoming a Person. Moving through my legal training and practicing law the focus was always about people and how to better their lives. All that searching, reading, studying and introspective work culminated in this collection of daily readings for seekers.
My work in the world has progressed from fighting legal cases to mediating divorces to helping people understand the essentials of relationship and collaborating to these poems. How can we collaborate effectively and work with each other in harmony to create the world we seek. How can we mindfully enable this world to become a place that works for all.
My prayer is that through introspection using these poems as a guide we can all grow together in making the world the Heaven on Earth we all aspire toward.
Categories: Poems
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