Listen To The Silence
Can you hear what’s important?
Are you listening?
Do you take the time to simply stop and listen — to yourself?
Our world has so many distractions. Some are important. Most can be a total waste of time and genuinely rob us of who we are meant to be. The value of silence has never been more vital — and never more difficult to find.
Silence is becoming the exceptional, rare space that allows us to truly listen to what matters to us; allowing us to decide how to spend our precious time.
Lesson to Learn
Distractions rob us of our ability to be at our best.
Research indicates that silence gives us the space to be creative and think deeply about what matters.
And yet, where do we find silence today? And, do we even want to experience silence? Modern studies indicate we do not. Why?
Our brains are constantly seeking dopamine. These distractions can use up all of our time and keep us from knowing what we should spend our limited and precious time on.
What is the solution?
Silence is our best hope for success.
Answer for Me
I genuinely struggle with making the time and committing to true silence in my life.
As many experts have said, we are all addicted to something. Nearly everyone I interact with today is addicted to distraction and action.
Many of us have programmed ourselves to constantly want to do something — almost anything — but not sit in silence. Unfortunately, I fall victim to this routinely.
I have known this flaw of mine for years. My solution is a dramatic one, according to some. I go on a silent retreat, ironically with a group, for an entire weekend each January. The other habit that helps me find silence is 20 minutes of silent prayer daily. I struggle with both of these commitments.
However, they both make me a much more grounded — and successful — person. They are a true blessing to counter my addiction to action and distraction.
Action
Do you see the need for silence? What are the benefits of silence?
One of my favorite books is Rest by Alex SooJung-Kim Pang. In it, the value and benefits of rest and silence are detailed. Please read it. It will amaze you just how many powerful and influential people in history made rest and silence an essential part of their life.
Once you want to be silent, the next step is to find a place to be quiet in.
Where can you be genuinely silent? Most of our lives are designed to avoid any chance of silence.
However, the site is crucial for most of us. Find a place, or many places, for silence. My wife and I are empty-nesters, so my home can be that place when I shut all the noise off and put away distractors. It would help if you had a site free of the temptation to “do” something. Remember, we are human beings, not human doing!
Then, just start practising silence routinely and drink its life-giving rewards!
Daily Habits
Make silence a daily habit. Few habits will change the quality of your life like this one. I put it number one on my list of practices that I must do daily. It’s right before gratitude. These two habits can change your entire life.
Why daily silence? Our world can be so demanding that without silence, we can’t hear our own small, deep inner voice guiding us to what is most important, life-giving, and crucial to do today.
It doesn’t matter how fast you climb your ladder if it is on the wrong wall. Silence gives you the space to find the right walls to put your ladders up against.
Start small — even 5 minutes a day is life-giving. Increase it over time. I am up to 20 minutes a day.
If you are a busy person, this is all you may need. It’s also important to find the right time of day. I do it first thing in the morning. It makes me so much calmer and centred. It helps me think more clearly for the rest of the day. Find your best time.
Finally, get started today — and modify and learn from your experiences.
Enjoy your silence and what you gain from it! You will not regret this choice!
Do you want more insights?
To learn more about leadership, visit me at www.macny.org.
To get a copy of my book Present-Future Leader, click here.