The Art of Listening

"I'm sitting across from a brilliant operator, the kind who's built three companies nearly from scratch, and I notice his screen saver: early morning light spilling gold across the ocean. I laughed and shared my phone screen: dawn breaking over a lake, that first blush of sun hitting the water. That shared knowledge, that we both like launching our days by anchoring ourselves in a moment of nature, we both understood the value."

"He laments, "It's the only time I can hear myself think." I know exactly what he means. I nodded; it is that deep breath before the day explodes into activity. In the early morning stillness, sitting at the edge of that lake, I see beauty and find clarity. It is a perspective that comes with stepping back or gaining altitude. And, it can dissolve when I'm 12 hours deep into back-to-back meetings, with an overflowing inbox and team members waiting on decisions."

"At the lake, at dawn, stillness comes first. Just me and the gentle lap of water against the shore, it feels easier to listen more deeply. I can hear my own breath. I can feel what's actually happening inside me, beneath the noise. This is where I know truth lives, if I'm willing to sit still long enough to let it surface."

Early-morning stillness anchors attention and enables inward listening, creating space to notice internal sensations and mental clarity. Shared appreciation of dawn scenes can signal similar values and rituals that center focus. Sitting at the water's edge helps expand awareness from subtle sounds to broader environmental patterns, revealing interconnections and perspective. This clarity contrasts with the dissolving effects of busy days filled with back-to-back meetings, overflowing inboxes, and family demands. Consciously beginning in darkness, listening inward, and gradually widening attention cultivates truth, restores calm, and supports better decisions when returning to daily responsibilities.

Read at Psychology Today