Rebecca Friedman Lockhart is a writer and author based in New York’s Hudson Valley, where she does her best thinking on her porch, preferably with coffee in hand while listening for  the resident juvenile red-tailed hawk to announce its presence. Her writing is shaped by deep listening to people, animals, and to herself, where she oscillates between hearing herself quietly mumble about a to-do list or musing about what she would do with a time machine or (occasionally) hearing her higher wisdom mind guiding her to the next right step. 

Rebecca’s perspective is also informed by a Buddhist practice that reminds her to breathe, stay present, and remember that there’s value in not knowing, even though it’s extremely uncomfortable (like when you’re staring at a blank page). It reminds her that the practice happens when she’s sitting on the cushion meditating, but her mind is off and running, and she has an opportunity to notice it and gently come back to the moment. Her years as a sign language interpreter trained her to pay attention and to hear what people are really saying, beyond what is being stated outright. It has helped her to be curious and ask questions of others, as well as of herself. Questions like: “What is the feeling tone of this statement?” “How can I change my framework and provide as authentic an interpretation as possible?” Her curiosity and questioning support her writing by providing an opening and an awareness that there’s more than one way to perceive, and that being quiet, listening, and observing often provide answers to questions she didn’t realize she had.