Card: Radical Listening

Title of Painting: Walk With Us

Landscape: Community/Collective

Interpretation: You think you’ve been listening. But have you, really? Radical Listening is the practice of intentionally quieting our internal voices and judgments and offering our full mental space to the speaker. There is no need to respond or offer a similar story. You are being called to bear witness and to truly see the humanity of another. Make eye contact. Maintain an open posture. Greet this moment with a sense of intention and quiet inquiry. This is the path to true empathy and healing. Radical listening can instigate a powerful process of change in our relationships and also in our communities. Bring your most vulnerable, humble and curious self to your conversations. We need more radical listeners if we are to make a society that's compassionate, inclusive and equitable for all.

Deeper Resonance: This piece was created during the 2017 Women’s March. Two women of different races with different experiences of the world are working together. They are looking in different directions, but there is physical closeness as well as trust. They need each other.