Silence and Speech
What to do…
The first thing to do – turn everything electronic off: next, in whatever situation you find yourself in – listen. Plain and simple, just listen. Whether at a family gathering where Uncle Joe is misbehaving; mother-in-law is judging; or at a meeting of people all needing to tell their side of the story; or, you are alone with your children, press the pause button on your ‘talker’ and listen for what is really surrounding you.
Allow your own discomfort to melt away. Practice healthy deep breathing and you will hear what is truly being said; what is really being asked for and how much your expertise, input and caring are needed. Listen to the chatter of your child as though nothing else exists in the world; listen to the elder parent so you can hear what they are really feeling; pay close attention to the co-worker or friend as they disclose their truth. Leave the component of judgment at the door, outside, down the block, in other words – elsewhere, and gone.
The richness of life is found in the relationships people have with one another. It is not found in bank accounts, stock portfolios, cars, boats, big homes and high-tech gadgets. True wealth and prosperity are the little moments in life where above all else you share who you are in a loving and kind way. An exchange of such energies is actually so profound that the magnitude may not be measured immediately, yet may appear many years down the road in a gesture returned; in a moment of pay it forward. I often mention in Silver Threads how the positive changes you apply to your life will touch those close to you. In a Daily Om article titled “The Consequences You Sow,” the following is written, “Every action you take has a cause and effect. The influence we wield is infinite…Our intentions flow forever outward in the form of energy, affecting both the people closest to us and billions of individuals we will likely never meet.” Seems as though it is time to stretch the imagination!
Quiet joy…
The May 2003, Silver Threads (known then as Enlighten) spoke of the joy to be found in the Sound of Silence. At that time, the article was all about creating time to meditate; to find the quiet in life so as to grow, heal and be. Today, I would offer to you that the Sound of Silence not only be about creating a caring space for yourSelf; that it also be about knowing when the benefits of your silence would be a priceless gift to those around you; those who need your total attention.
