We hear, we don’t judge — but we also don’t listen. That was always a hard pill to swallow.
Listening. Yes, listening.

Sometimes we think that just the mere ability to hear means that we are listening, but in essence, many of us are not. There are so many things going on in our minds while someone else is speaking that we don’t truly hear the message. Instead, we rush to respond. We rush to fix. We rush to exert energy in places that don’t need it — leaving us worse off and probably involved in something we had no business stepping into in the first place.

Learning to be still can be difficult. But learning to truly be still and listen — without reacting — may take the strength of an army. Believe me, though, you will be all the better for it.

You see, true listening requires presence.
It asks you to pause your inner dialogue, to resist the urge to defend, to diagnose, to dissect. It demands that you hold space — not just with your ears, but with your heart. That’s the part they don’t teach us.

We’re taught to be efficient. To respond quickly. To fix what’s broken.
But some things aren’t meant to be fixed — they’re meant to be felt.

And when you allow yourself to listen — really listen — you begin to witness something deeper. You hear the fear behind the frustration. The pain beneath the sarcasm. The plea buried in the silence. You begin to notice the things left unsaid — the pauses, the stumbles, the breath held just a second too long.

This kind of listening isn’t passive. It’s powerful.
It’s the kind of listening that transforms conversations.
It softens walls.
It brings healing.

Because sometimes, the most sacred thing you can offer someone isn’t advice.
It’s attention.
Unfiltered. Uninterrupted. Unconditional.

And when you begin to give that gift to others, something beautiful happens — you learn how to offer it to yourself, too.

So today, be still.
Don’t rush to fix.
Don’t rush to speak.

Just listen.

And in that quiet… you just might hear what you’ve been missing all along.

When was the last time you truly listened — to someone else, or to yourself? Share your moment below or email me at dearepiphany@gmail.com