Three Strategies To Help You Benefit From Silence
Posted: December 05, 2023
Silence is often filled because we can be uncomfortable with it. There can be a feeling like the silence is awkward and it needs to be filled. Perhaps a way to start to bring a bit more silence into your life is to talk less. Talking less invites people to speak less and it helps you listen to what they are saying. Think about it. If you are only going to allow yourself half of what you would usually say, then you need to be a bit more precise with what you say. Plato said, “wise men speak because they have something to say, fools speak because they have to say something.”
Avoid the urge to react. This can be another great way to bring a bit more silence into your life. Imagine you are in a disagreement with someone. The communication escalates but instead of hitting back you say something like, “it seems we are at an impasse, why don’t we think what has been said and pick it up again tomorrow.” By doing this you provide the time to reflect in silence and in private instead of potentially escalating and making the situation worst.
Watch the sun rise, watch the sun set. Both happen to be my favorite parts of the day. While I don’t do this every day, when I do, I am amazed at the level of peace and calm that comes over me. There is something wonderful about starting the day with watching the sun rise. The world is still quiet yet the day ahead is filled with promise. There is also something peaceful and reflective about taking the time to watch and enjoy the sun going down. It doesn’t take long but being at a place where you can watch it disappear into the horizon requires you to slow down and embrace the beauty of something happening in nature that is way beyond any person’s control.
All these suggestions are easy to do but always very easy not to do. As you look to the next 30 days consider bringing more silence in your life by becoming better at talking less, avoiding the urge to react and by treating yourself to a few sun rises and sun sets. I think you will be surprised at what a difference they will make in how you feel and each will help you embrace and appreciate silence in your life even more.