Listening in the Silence - Blue and White Clouds

Listening in the Silence

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We are often afraid of silence because it can feel idle, boring, unproductive, and scary. And can have a certain empty quality to it. Plus silence can be eerily quiet.

And so we fill our lives with chaos, noise, and clutter.

But silence can be lovely. As well as therapeutic and powerful. It can be the remedy for our stress.

If we want quiet in our lives, how do we create it?

I’ve been exploring this myself. As a single mom, my life has a welcome noise, but silence can be a welcome refuge from that noise at times.

I create silence by subtracting, and not filling the resulting emptiness with noise or clutter.

And so my life is a constant experimentation with subtracting. When I’ve subtracted, and learn to love the empty silence, I subtract some more. Subtraction is a beautiful process.

Prefer subtraction over addition.

Learn to be content with little, or nothing.

Realize that silence is beautiful.

Find yourself in the empty space that results.

Empty a room, and put almost nothing back except that which produces quiet.

Speak less, listen more, contemplate even more.

Walk in silence. Listening to all of the noises that you encounter. This reminds me of a picture book that my daughter likes called The Listening Walk.

In the story, a little girl goes on a walk with her dad and her dog. They don’t talk on the walk, so she listens to all of the noises that she hears. It allows her to take in the beauty of the world around her.

Sit and do nothing. Listen to your mind make noise in the silence, allow it to subside.

Put down all of your technology in order to hear your inner voice. Which can be hard when technology is constantly vying for your attention.

Be quiet, so that life may speak.

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