Listening to the silences... Day 16 #28daysofwriting

Listening to the silences...

Here we are at the start of a new year.  

Here we are in the deep south, visiting schools new to our contract.  
One goal for me this year is -

"Focus on my listening skills and my conversation to ensure I am provoking and challenging - aim to provoke more questions than answers"

For this roadie I am focusing on the silences...
What is said in the spaces?
What is left unsaid?
What do pauses, or gaps in conversation lead to?
What happens when gaps are not filled?
How do I ensure I pause and allow space?
Why do some questions provoke silence?  and others provoke chatter?
How do I model listening?
How do I provoke?
How do I challenge?

How am I taking this challenge into my conversations with my colleagues, both face to face and online?

How am I taking this challenge into my personal life?

Am I leaving space in my life for silence?
For reflection?
For gentle nothingness?

A couple of times today I have reflected on learnings from Brendan Spillane...

How do we ensure we 'leave work'?  With so much of our work life available 24/7 in our personal hand held devices, how do we set boundaries for time when we are 'offline'?

How do we ensure we don't ruin things we love by doing other things at the same time?  

How do we fully commit to 'being present'?

HUGE wonderings for today.... listening to the silences...