Can I Take Care of Myself and Still Listen?

We don't so often give our full attention and put aside all the judgments and just listen. Yet when we do, we create a bridge connecting our inner life to each other. We need most of us to be able to pull away and have some minutes or more, sometimes weeks, whatever, to bring a very wise presence to the part of us that might feel hurt. That's usually the prerequisite to being able to reengage with more listening.