The Noisiest Silence

USA Today conducted a survey to find out what people fear the most.  As I read the list I was astounded by the results.  People are afraid of death and flying.  Not so shocking.  The number three thing people fear the most definitely caught my attention causing me to take pause: silence.  As I pondered this survey result I reflected upon the world around us.  It’s filled with noise and chaos.  Media is playing everywhere, the break room at work has TVs playing nonstop, the gym blares music, our cars come fully equipped with media centers to distract (or pacify) us on our daily journeys, doctor offices, grocery stores, bars, coffee shops, and every other place in public is filled with hustle, bustle, and noise.  It’s really rare to find a tiny slice of peace and quiet in this world.

What fills those tiny slices of silence once we do find some peace and quiet?  Usually the voice in my head has a laundry list of to do tasks, ideas I should debate, people I should contact, projects I want to begin, projects I want to finish, topics I want to research, books I want to read, and the list goes on and on.  My  point is, what fills my silence is the voice in my head.  Therefore, what people really fear in silence is the opportunity to get in touch with themselves.  I used to avoid this very thing myself.  Like the plague even.  I would fill my days with endless tasks, fun events, workouts, and anything else which would prevent me from spending quality time listening to my inner voice.  My inner voice used to not be very kind.  It would pick me apart, dissect me, put all of my imperfections on blast, and absolutely reinforce there was no way I would ever be good enough.

If we dig into the depths of ourselves we are able to become friends with this voice living in our head.  Over time we can reprogram the voice, create new stories for ourselves, create new beliefs for ourselves, and affirm the love we hold for ourselves.  This was not a quick process for me personally, but it was well worth the time and effort.  As I began to embrace silence and solitude, I took it a step further and dabbled in the practice of meditation.  At first it was foreign, challenging, and lacked focus.  I felt like a gerbil running everywhere, throughout a complex and endless labyrinth, lacking direction or purpose as I couldn’t find a way to silence the voice which had always had permission to whisper or scream at me relentlessly.  Over time I slowly found more focus and a deeper level of silence than I had ever known before.  I also discovered the

small voice of intuition which guides me through life with a connection to my higher power.  I’m still learning to be obedient to this tiny voice of intuition.  In fact, it is one of the areas I’ve vowed to focus on the most this year.  My much louder voice in my head and ego will find a multitude of ways to override the intuitive voice via logic, reason, or mere desire.  However, I do recognize when I follow my intuitive voice marvelous things happen, and I do wish to welcome even more marvelous things into my life.

May silence bring you the peacefulness of knowing your true inner self in an authentic and accepting manner.  May you grow to know your intuition and divine guiding power and be able to meet them in silence whenever it is desired.  Thanks for stopping by!

Peace & Love,

Janessa