"How falsely a listener may construe what we say if he takes only our words. Our words are often halting and are plainly not what we mean. In back of what we mean on the conscious level, there is almost always a deeper unconscious meaning that is at work. But these unconscious meanings are only dimly felt by the speaker and they do not formulate well in words….
Someone once suggested to me that in every conversation between two people there are always at least six persons present. What each person said are two; what each person meant to say are two more; and what each person understood the other to say are two more." Douglas Steere*
I don't remember what year I met Douglas Steere but I will never forget how impressed I was. He was so present. He was different. He wasn't chatty. He seemed very singular and at peace.
Our meeting was before I was very conscious of consciousness.
In my imagination, he is my mentor.
Seeing his name felt like a gift. Do you have a mentor that is primarily in your imagination? Is there someone you met for a brief period who made an impression on you? Do you appreciate the gifts people give you?
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Thanks for exploring the mystery - Nicky Mendenhall
I like knowing that I'm not the only one who has difficulty explaining things and/or discussing issues. At this moment, I can't think of a single mentor, meaning, I have had several mentors and wouldn't want to mention one for fear of making the others seem lesser. Thinking of the "gifts" I get from others was a good reminder.
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