What I've Been Feeling While Continuing to 'Read' ♬ ~The Importance of Dialogue~ (*^-^*)

Recently, because I have been participating in various 'book clubs' and have more planned, I have been reading through all sorts of books that had been piling up.

Encounters with books are mysterious things...

For some reason, the things I need are 'introduced to me,' 'I come across articles introducing them,' or 'they catch my eye' ☆☆

When I read them, new encounters arise from there as well,

and each one of them connects in a mysterious way...it's a repeating cycle ♬

By 'reading,' I can even elevate my thoughts to the level of (self-reflection).

'Self-reflection' means facing one's own heart and looking back on one's own thoughts and actions.
It means looking into one's own heart, reconsidering what one thought and how one felt, and analyzing one's own feelings rather than relying on emotional arguments.

Of course, it's not that I can empathize with everything written, and some things are difficult to understand, but

first, I accept the author's thoughts, and from there, what I take away and how I apply it to my own way of life is my choice.

That is precisely why the time I spend truly engaging with 'reading' is important.

It's not that I read because it's important; I also read because I want to, and because I'm excited to...

But, if

I were to reflect and make choices based solely on my own thoughts,

there is a fear that I might judge things only based on my current knowledge, sensibilities, and what I already possess...

I realized that in such cases, 'book clubs' or 'hearing directly from the author' can provide great stimulation.

Rather than just being on the receiving end of a one-way communication through text,

I feel that by noticing the author's intentions or hearing other people's impressions and interpretations, the book feels fresh all over again.

I believe that by listening to others' thoughts and discussing a single book, our perspectives expand and our learning deepens.

And I have come to think that this is not limited to just 'books'.

Especially lately, since we cannot have face-to-face conversations, there is a lot of communication through text, which has led to an increase in misunderstandings, being misunderstood, and not knowing the true intentions of others.

“I'm afraid that expressing my opinion to someone will ruin the relationship.”
“I'm embarrassed that it will be revealed that I don't understand.”

There are various thoughts involved, and I think that especially when receiving information one-sidedly rather than through dialogue, many people tend to leave things as they are and pretend to understand even if they have questions or don't actually grasp the meaning.

Therefore, instead of just receiving things one-sidedly through text,

I have come to think that it is important to accept it, and then properly convey what you thought or any questions you might have to the person who provided it, and to engage in dialogue there.

That is exactly what communication is. Even if you think you are conveying something, it may often not be communicated at all.

It is the same on note. By leaving comments, our hearts connect with each other.

And, as it develops further, you may want to have time for 'dialogue' with the people you have met, or want to meet them in person, and want to connect more deeply.

Although it is difficult to meet in person during the COVID-19 pandemic,

nowadays, there are many ways to connect through tools like Zoom.

Of course, it is definitely better to meet in person, feel the other person's body heat, and not be through a screen.

Although that is difficult to do right now, I believe it is important to continue having dialogues using the media available to us, while believing that we will return to such a world someday.

And, while imagining a society where we can connect in person in the near future,

I want to explore what kind of 'connections' and 'spaces' I can create.

At the same time, I intend to actively connect with people all over Japan using the media currently available to me.

Recently, I have been participating more through 'Peatix', which allows for online connections.

I will paste the link here for your reference (*^-^*)

What is important in both 'book clubs' and event dialogues is

'Knowing that there are various impressions and opinions, and being conscious of not criticizing the other person's impressions or opinions. On that basis, conveying one's own opinion.'

And I think it is that the space is a 'safe place'.

It is important for participants to be conscious of this with each other.

<Things I have participated in recently>

◎ Chawan-san's 'Book Club' (I have posted about this in a separate article)

◎ Hosted by the Japan Legacy Gift Association
At the 'Event to think about, learn, convey, and act on legacy giving', I listened to the 'Report on the actual situation of legacy giving' and participated in a dialogue with the author of 'The World is Made of Gifts' (Mr. Yuta Konnai).
=> Since this was a live YouTube broadcast, there was no exchange of opinions, but it was a good experience in the sense of connecting the books I have read and what I have learned.

◎ 'Social Prescribing' Book Club [Hitoken]
- How to cure the disease of isolation through connections in the community -
Through the materials, participants shared their impressions and engaged in a dialogue to 'think about what I myself can do as a social resource'.

<Things I plan to participate in in the future>

◎ '25 Rules for Heart-to-Heart Dialogue' Book Club (Finished reading!)

◎ 'I Don't Have Enough Money for Old Age' Book Club (Finished reading previously!)

And, I myself am also

'planning to hold a relaxed and fluffy chat session'☆☆

Since I feel the importance of dialogue and casual conversation,
I hope to be able to hold them continuously
(*^-^*)

Thank you for reading again this time,
thank you very much <m(__)m>

【書いた人】
江村恵子＠終活ワーカー／ゆるふわおしゃべり相談所
「恵子」さん、または「ゆるふわ」さん　
と呼んでください(*^-^*) 

保育業界を退職して、
縁あって 
『終活』に関する学びと 
広める活動をしています。 

今は、群馬県の 
『終活アドバイザーサークルの代表』を
担っています。 

Noteでは、 
『喜んで豊かに生きる素敵な人生』 
について、 
『終活』（人生の終わりのための準備） 
について、 
また趣味である畑仕事や旅行、
家族のこと・エッセイ 
などを書いています。

今後は、 
終活ワーカー（終活のお手伝いをする人）として、 
「素敵に生きる人生について」
オンライン、オフラインで
「ゆるふわに」お話し会や 座談会、雑談会
相談会などを開催予定です。

Twitterもしています。 

Twitterでは、
特に自分で撮った花や自然について 投稿したり、 
同様の投稿をしている人をフォローしたり 
RTしたりしています。 

Noteとも共有で投稿することも多いです 

https://twitter.com/mix8853

よろしくお願いいたします<m(__)m>

#Reading
#BookClub
#Online
#DailyNote
#Connection
#Dialogue
#Hitoken