There will be times when we have something we consider important, and we say it...and it is not only not heard, it is misheard, quoted incorrectly and dismissed as bunk.
There it is, our golden opportunity to use what is to me the most important sentence in the Prayer of Saint Francis: Grant that I may seek to understand rather than seek to be understood.
We pray our thank you, and we turn our mind away from its natural inclination to repeat what we said, louder. Face it, this will get neither their attention nor their agreement.
We must needs learn as quickly as our ego allows to loose it and let it go for our need is to go directly to our exchanged mind, that is, away from self-determined into God-directed.
We gentle our thoughts and refocus on the other, on understanding that they are hearing what they want to hear...the reason why makes no nevermind to us. We cannot change another much less their wants; we can, however, with our gentled thoughts, hug them and kiss them, and let them go.
Whosoever shall not hear your words, shake the dust off your feet and move on. -- Matthew 10:14
Thank you.
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