When I say "bugging" in the title, I mean what's on your mind? What's getting you uncomfortable? What's irritating you? What's not right in your world? Often those irritants are trying to tell us something, and we don't listen until they provoke anger and even rage.

What if we learned to listen earlier? Not only to ourselves, but to others? What are they trying to tell us, even when the words they are using are clunky?

Listening is an art and a skill we can get better at when we practice it. My mom used to say, referring to my piano lessons as a kid, "practice makes perfect." That's true when we are practicing perfectly. But really, practice makes permanent. The WAY we practice makes all the difference.

 How are we listening? ARE we listening or are we just hearing?

This is a huge distinction and one I'm still working on.