The wisdom of silence
Lately I have noticed that I am far more sensitive to external noise and seeking the peace of silence more often than I used to. At first I wondered why this was, and when I really started to pay attention I realised it was all connected to the things that are changing and manifesting in my outside world, as well as in the way I myself am transforming the way I am and how I show up in my life. My need for moments of silence is simply a sign that I need to slow down and reconnect with myself, create time to process what has been, and explore the possibilities of what is yet to come. Time to nurture my transformation from the current to the future.
In the frantic and media saturated world we live in we rarely get an opportunity to experience total and complete silence any more. We are permanently connected with our online communities, and constantly processing man-made, rather than natural stimuli. Our days are over planned, and over scheduled with many of us failing to even know how to begin to 'switch off'. We 'switch off' by flicking through Facebook or turning on the TV, creating yet more 'noise'. Social media connections are on the rise and yet the feelings of isolation, lack of community and depression are rising at ever faster rates. Being disconnected from our social networks and the outside world by turning off our electronic devices and entering 'a state of silence' feels intimidating for many of us. And yet all the 'noise' has the potential to numb, distract and disconnect us from the people in our lives, and more importantly from ourselves as our view of ourselves becomes distorted by the images of who we 'should' be.
When I started to follow my need for silence. I began to feel a different level of connection within myself. I found myself being so much more present, more aware of my thoughts, and self-talk, and more able to understand where they were coming from. Eckhart Tolle says “Stillness is our essential nature and when we lose touch with our inner stillness, we lose touch with ourselves. And when we lose touch with ourselves, we lose touch in the world. He further says that our innermost sense of self, of who we are, is inseparable from stillness. This is the “I am” that is deeper than name and form.”
Silence is not the only way to find inner stillness but it definitely helps me to connect with my inner point of stillness faster. For me silence is the path to myself.
What do you equate with silence? What is your relationship to it? Does silence play a part in your daily life?
Starting a relationship with silence can seem challenging at first. The silence can be deafening and overwhelming. We may hear the sounds of our own inner silence as we do battle with the thoughts of what 'we need, we have, we should, and what we can't'. It is at this point of entering silence; of slowing down and taking a break that we truly hear and understand our own thoughts, beliefs, motivations and emotions. There are still moments of silence that intimidate me: when I am confronted by uncomfortable emotions. But its only when we face the uncomfortable and press the pause button on our lives, silencing the noise and slowing down that the real connection with ourselves is able to happen. I find that the more journeys into silence I make, the more I feel, hear and understand myself and the better I am able to tap into my own energy.
Some of my favourite ways of creating moments of silence:
Making a conscious effort to escape the TV, computer, and music. Finding places that are free of man made stimuli. The evenings are some of the best times to enter into silent me-time.
Walking on the beach, breathing in fresh air and feeling the suns rays on your skin all help teach the lesson of stillness and a state of being.
Watching my children sleeping, sitting with them in silence, observing, feeling their energy and connecting on a different level.
Reading, learning and sitting with the new found knowledge.
Journaling my thoughts and emotions to help me find my inner truth.
Simply spending time with myself without doing or being anything in particular apart from just me.
Silence is my private retreat to a more peaceful place within, where I can rest and rejuvenate the body and soul. It is a place I got to in order to hear myself, discover things I didn’t know about myself, re-energise and envision my future. I encourage you to play with your own moments of silence in order to find your personal retreat within.
Author: Deidre Dattoli
Deidre is highly experienced in the fields of executive coaching and leadership development, team dynamics and performance, offering a range of personal and group leadership training programs, customized training solutions, consultancy and coaching services.
Deidre is one of Griffith Consulting's key program facilitators.
For more information about Deidre, please contact us, today.