Face to Face
I spend a lot of time face to face with people.
Sometimes it is working with someone as a spiritual director or a leadership coach. Sometimes is is over breakfast, or coffee, or a great craft brew. Sometimes it is on a retreat, in a meeting, or in church.
Sometimes it is in person, and sometimes it is over Skype or FaceTime.
Being face to face with someone means a great deal. I pay attention, I look into their eyes; they open themselves to me and I open myself to them. They are the focus on my attention. I may be able to hear what is unspoken, to listen to what they are reluctant to put into words.
There can be a depth and a sacredness to the time I spend face to face with someone. We are grounded and connected to each other, and are able to show each other things that are larger than ourselves. Even when it is a stranger making eye contact as we pass each other on the sidewalk, there can be a spark of connection if we are open to it.
Being face to face with another person allows me to recognize things in myself. As I come to recognize and appreciate my true self, I become able to recognize the true selves of those around me. The more deeply I know myself, the more deeply I am able to connect with other people. The more open I am with others, the more open I am able to become with myself.
The more time I spend facing someone else, the more clearly I am able to face myself.
Who will you spend time face to face with today?
How will you open yourself to the faces around you?
[Image by visualpanic]
2 Comments
Elizabeth Traub
May 5, 2012This is precisely why Social Media is hardest for me. I have learned more about one person in a face to face 5 minute conversation than possible through expressions of “just words”.
I value face to face time. I put my phone away, my pen or paper and look face to face. Tucking kids into bed, face to face hearing the intimacies of their hearts. Sitting away from projects and engaging my husband. I too learn more about myself through the faces of others. Blessings, Elizabeth
Strategic Monk
May 5, 2012Thank you, Elizabeth.
I appreciate just how you feel. Being with someone face to face can give you a depth and an intimacy that are not possible through electronic social media.
All I know is that, for myself, I have developed strong relationships with people I have never met through social media. I have good friends that I would never have met without social media. They do not replace my face to face relationships, and they are not the same, but they are valuable. Authenticity and thoughtfulness still come through.
Blessings.