Listening with a Green Lens

One of the insights which I have had during the last week is on holding a positive focus for everything around me. Perhaps this is an extension of the space I create for my clients when I am in a coaching conversation with them. I have been used to seeing things in “Red” and “Green”. Red stands for all things which are wrong, which are not working well, mistakes. It is like when someone gets a cut, the blood oozes out. Green stands for the trees, leaves and all the natural greenery around us; something which renews us, something which yields flowers of different vibrant colours and fruits of different textures and taste. And most often than not it is the Red lens which normally gets used.

The most vivid example of the Red is the cuttings made by my English Grammar teacher in school. My games teacher in school who instead of motivating me to get physically fit, often ridiculed. The Green stands for the encouragement and inspiration provided by many others at a later stage in my life.

I got habituated to listen to others through a combination of red lens and green lens, with red being a much bigger lens. Some of the answers which I looked for through the red lens were:

·        What is wrong here?

·        What is not working?

·        This is not ok.

·        I do not agree to this?

·        Why is he wearing a dirty shirt?

·        This guy is driving in the wrong lane.

·        You made that mistake.

·        And so on…..

And in between I used the green lens, but in an atrophied manner.

What if I consciously use only the Green lens in my listening? In some of my conversations I have started practicing this, even if it is only for ten minutes. I just look at what is working, what is going right, the goodness of the other person, the drivers who are driving in the correct lane, …..

It is tough to hold only the green lens, but it is rewarding. And this is something, no amount of my explaining the benefits would help you. I invite you to choose to listen to something, someone or to yourself, from a Green lens once a day. Reflect and see what happened.