The Paradox of Noisy Silence
/New Year’s celebrations are usually full of noise – parties, fireworks, noisemakers, bowl games, you name it.
The new year at work starts off with a bang too – a bang of hectivity – things that didn’t get done last year, catching up from being away (even tho most everyone else was too).
Yet, silence is necessary and hard and at first, incredibly noisy. Therein lies the paradox (and you know I LOVE paradoxes). I used to be great at finding time to be silent (silence, meditation, whatever you call it) and that was when I was traveling weekly and didn't have kids. Now I’m trying to get back to silence. And you know what? It’s hard!!! Yet I crave it!
“The music is not in the notes, but in the silence in between.
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At first, my head is full of noise – ideas, to-do’s, reminders, errands, etc. go through my head like an Indy 500 race. It’s hard resisting the urge to write them all down – to just Let Them Go. I’ve finally realized if they are that important, they’ll come up again sometime. Eventually, it gets easier, the race turns into a slow drive and then, sometimes, totally stops – the noise is gone, it’s complete silence. That silence is an incredible gift, a rejuvenating, calming and intellectually stimulating gift. Yup, a paradox.
There is a lot of literature on the importance and power of silence – intellectually, emotionally, physically, spiritually. But knowing and doing are two separate things.
So, join me in an experiment. I’m going to try to set aside 10 minutes 2 times a week to be silent. Not every day, not every other day – just 2 times a week for 10 minutes. I’m going to start small, give it shot and if it works, build up. Try it with me; tell me how it goes; and remember, this is an experiment so it’s ok to fail and try again….
