I had the great opportunity to be the invited guest on a blog talk radio show (The Real Roar) which aired last month. The shows format is place where real conversations are happening among real people and talking about real issues. The show is hosted by two fabulous women: Debra Carter and Vicki Lickorish.

Vicki told a story about receiving a newsletter from her young son’s school. She has always made a point of reading anything coming from the school. But, it was in this particular newsletter that she read a very powerful piece that was submitted from a writer who wished to remain anonymous. Vicki had no idea who penned this moving piece but she was sure about one thing. This writer is a student and had to be 16 years old or perhaps even younger. I would like to share this piece of writing with you that is simply called:

Could you just listen?

 When I ask you to listen to me and you start giving me advise you’ve not done what I asked.

When I ask you to listen to me and you feel you have to do something to solve my problem, you have failed me strange as this may seem.

Listen!

 All I asked was that you listen to me, not talk or do…just hear me. I can do for myself I am not helpless, maybe discouraged and faltering, but NOT helpless.

When you do something for me that I can and need to do for myself, you contribute to my fear and inadequacy.

But when you accept as a simple fact that I do feel what I feel, no matter how irrational, then I can quit trying to convince you and can get about this business of understanding what is behind this irrational feeling.

When that is clear, the answers are obvious and I do not need advice.