Speak Without Interruption (While Walking at NorthPark Center)
Details
Talk about anything you want for 30+ minutes without interruption. No questions. No opinions. No unsolicited advice.
Choose how vulnerable you want to be. Talk about the events in your life. Your dreams. Struggles. Vent, if you want. Brain dump. This is your time to get whatever it is out of your head or off your chest.
The only rule: you may not spend your time talking about the person(s) listening to you.
We’ll start with group sharing where everyone gets 2-5 minutes. Then we’ll pair up and go for a walk around the mall. That’s where you’ll get 30 minutes to speak. We’ll walk a little less than 2 miles at a casual speed of about 3 MPH. If requested, we can take a break every 15 minutes.
If you run out of things to talk about, that’s ok. Walking in silence is also enjoyable. We’ll leave the space open for you in case something else enters your mind.
The social contract here is simple: you get 30 minutes of uninterrupted talking time because you also listen to someone so they too may get their 30 minutes of uninterrupted talking time.
To provide this extremely high-quality experience, these are the listening guidelines:
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Do not speak.
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Avoid audible noises such as: “uh uh,” “hmmmm,” “ugh,” etc.
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You may laugh. It’s a neutral emotional expression.
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You may respond through physical gestures to process what’s being said: thumbs up, shrugging, etc. Do it to process and not to interrupt or try to direct the speaker.
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It’s ok to get side tracked in your mind. If they talk about something that you’ve also experienced, instead of interrupting and telling them, have that conversation in your head.
If you get paired to listen to someone that triggers you, try to make it through the session so the other person gets their time. Let Richard know afterwards and he’ll avoid matching you as a listener for that person again, if possible.
You’ll probably find it’s easier to listen to people you disagree with when you don’t have to respond.
Meet at the statue in front of AMC Ticketing on the second level. If you’re more than 8 minutes late, you’ll miss the walk. Do not try to catch up with us because speaking/listening partners will already be decided.