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    What Do You Hear? Listening as a Pathway to Peace and Happiness

    by Solomon D. Stevens Ph.D Mar 11, 2022 5 minutes
    What Do You Hear? Listening as a Pathway to Peace and Happiness by Solomon Stevens Ph.D. Photograph of a man looking across the water at the New York City Skyline by Caleb George
    Photograph by Caleb George

    Estimated reading time: 7 minutes

    In our busy world, we too often bypass a simple opportunity to connect, to calm and find joy — it’s called listening.

    —

    We all find peace in different ways. I meditate, and when I do, I try to remove myself completely from all of my senses. For me, it is beautiful. But I also find that it brings me happiness to pay attention to my senses and listen to the world around me. It is another way for me to discover peace. I listen. 

    It sounds so simple and elemental… but conscious listening actually requires intention and attention.

    Listening to Nature

    You are sitting outside on a beautiful day, perhaps at a park that you often come to. What do you hear? You might hear the birds. Are there other animals nearby? One of the most

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