Listening.

My daughter is extremely frustrating sometimes. Anybody who has a child will understand that.

Kids are so blunt, so full of emotion, so full of being in the moment, so frustrating at times. And that is where our greatest lesson comes true.

My kid’s been trying to tell and share something with me, so all I can do is listen and be very patient. Each time she opens up a little bit more, she gives me another tidbit.

That lesson alone is probably teaching me the greatest lesson ever.

You see, if I just listened to some of the women that I was with, that I went out with, that I got involved in relationships with, I wouldn’t have been with them.

I’ve been single now for three and a half, almost four years, because I listen very carefully to what is being said to me.

With every single woman I date, I listen very carefully to what they say, what their actions are, how their actions are backed up, how their words are backed up by actions, or their actions are not backed up by anything.

Why do I do this?

Well, my daughter taught me this. Because you see, if I go back in my dating life, some of the biggest learning lessons were women I shouldn’t have been with.

There is a woman that I went out with years ago.

She showed me what a bitch she was pretty much right away.

But I was so stuck in the story, I was so stuck in what I wanted it to be, I was so stuck in the romantic fantasy that I allowed the relationship to go on much longer than it should have. There was something wrong with this person. When I use the word bitch, to me she is a bitch. To other people, she might be sweet as can be.

But you see, I didn’t listen. I allowed my , my romantic journey, my romantic needs, wants, and desires to literally do what? Take over. But because of my daughter, I’ve now listened and learned. I’m single and I’m proudly single.

I know there is somebody absolutely beautiful and amazing for me.

And I just listen carefully to what people present to me. I want to see people who walk the walk, talk the talk, literally deliver upon that every single day. People who are humble, and great.

My kid taught me that lesson because what I do now is I allow people to express themselves, and I don’t dishonor anybody for expressing who they are.

See, when I’m no longer in the story, I actually can finally have a great loving relationship because my needs, wants, desires to literally have something with or the story of what I want somebody to be doesn’t surface. The only thing that surfaces is the real person that’s being presented to me right in front of my eyes in that present moment.

And that’s what’s so beautiful about life when you’re out of stories it’s really great. I’m finally seeing clear everybody who comes into my life. I know there’s great relationships down the road for me, but I don’t need to force a single thing. I just need to be present and listen. And I can thank my beautiful little frustrating daughter for that lesson because it’s a good one. Do I tell my daughter she’s frustrating? Absolutely not. Do I show her she’s frustrating? Absolutely not.

I’m patient, I’m loving, and I listen to her.

And that’s what life is all about, listening carefully to who presents themselves to you and why, the real person surfaces, not the representative, but the real person.