I meet every Friday morning with 4 other women in an empowerment group for United First Financial.  We are independent agents and our purpose is to support each other to grow beyond ourselves so we may reach out fearlessly to assist others to get out of debt.  If Ufirst is something you’ve not heard about yet, information can be found at FlowYourMoney. This week’s theme is listening and we are to notice during the week experiences around listening.

Yesterday I spent the morning in San Francisco at the U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit.  Our son, Bryan Heckenlively, was participating in a Mock Trial Competition.  Bryan is a third year law student at the UC Berkeley School of Law.  The courthouse is an amazing building with mosaic tile floors and gorgeous marble everywhere.  So here we are sitting in the courtroom and the judge, fully robed, sits before us.  Although we know this is a mock trial, it all seems very real.  They are trying a real case, and the students are dressed in suits; so prepared they don’t need notes.

A courtroom is a perfect place to study the benefits of listening.  Asking, and then listening for the response.  During the examination of a witness listening is critically important!  Although the attorney has a direction in mind of where she wants the flow of the questioning to go, she has to listen for clues that will guide her towards the points she wants to make.  She cannot be so locked in to her prepared line of questioning that she cannot seize an opportunity that may present itself.

I noticed that the attorney would ask a question of the witness and after the witness answered, the attorney would say, “Tell me more about that.”  Hmmm.  A line of questioning! Not just one question, but many.  And the answers that follow will help guide the direction of the line of questioning.

Where does freedom fit in with this?  If I focus on the other person I am free from my own fears and worries.  My ego has released it’s stronghold! I truly am free to be of service as I assist another to make their own discoveries.  And it is through the release of long held beliefs about money that my future clients will open their minds to educate themselves about another way to get out of debt and begin to build wealth.  And all I need to do is ask questions?