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March Musing from Rebecca Crichton: What Are You Learning?
A veteran journalist friend has a habit which can be either annoying, stimulating, or a combination of both. When I tell him about something I have read or heard that interests me, he says, “What did you learn?” Whatever my answer is, he repeats: “What did you learn?” Another answer, perhaps a variation on the first one, and he says it again. “What did you learn?”
This interrogation technique seems separate from my answers. I am not alone in taking umbrage at what feels like a refusal to hear what I am saying. I wind up thinking he wants some ‘right’ answer I haven’t landed on.
The last time it happened, I changed my lens. Instead of feeling put on the spot – and stupid in the process – I saw the question as an opportunity to dig in and think about what I really learned. What had kept me engaged and impacted by what I had read or heard? What hooked me?
This shift in perspective was a game-changer. It reminded me of several therapeutic practices where the purpose of repeating a question — What matters most? Who are you? or other queries — is to deepen discovery and understanding.
Monica Guzman in her book, I Never Thought of It That Way, chronicles her realization that her interviews sometimes felt too superficial. Although the person she was interviewing answered each question, she wanted more depth. She learned that to go deeper, the next question should be based on the person’s first answer.
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NWCCA’s Collaboration with Town Hall
Monday, April 14, 7:30 PM
The Medhi Reading Room, Town Hall Seattle
1119 8th Avenue, Seattle
The Healing Arts and the Path of Service
Cedron Sterling with Rebecca Crichton
Cedron Sterling, LMT has shared his mastery of the healing arts of massage and Myofascial Release for more than three decades with clients and other healing practitioners. He will discuss his serendipitous and pre-ordained journey into the wide field of energy and body healing. His work has benefited clients confronting chronic pain, emotional distress, and end-of-life concerns.