Deep listening

A neighbor introduced me to IFS, unintentionally, without even talking to me about it. She’s a dancer and a painter, and I immediately admired her fearless creativity when we met in 2010. We shared a fence line at the time, and I had no idea that she was also one of the original instructors to lead trainings with Dick Schwartz.

Barbara Cargill has slowed down considerably in recent years. She no longer leads trainings, but her uncanny power to slow things down and communicate from the heart—from Self—remains strong. She is a model of powerful listening.

I’m typically quick to answer and excited to jump into conversations, but Barbara sources other people’s wisdom by letting them speak in full. I associate this with the artist’s impulse to merge, to accentuate. I’ve come to associate this form of listening with IFS. When I listen to Self, I experience a creative surge, a new way of feeling. And this practice has made me more trusting of my own wisdom—and more patient to listen for other people’s wisdom.

We all have access to infinite creative power, and listening is the key to this interactive process.

How has IFS impacted your life? Email editor@foundationifs.org, and we will publish your story here!