On Solace: Quieting the Voice
The soul-nourishing power of silence, listening and reflection
In a world that’s changing too fast, too careless with truth and too distracted to notice, a little panic has crept in. Everywhere we go there is discontent. We’re better than this, we tell ourselves and each other, offering reassuring nods to strangers in the checkout line, hoping beyond hope that it’s true.
Skimming Medium for a reprieve, I happened on this excellent post by Yasmeen the other day:
and after much wisdom on the trials of the artist, she closed with this telling and powerful thought:
The more you listen, the quieter everyone else becomes.
That brought me to a full stop. It resonated at several levels. For one, it sounded the clear ring of truth. It was comforting in it’s promise. But perhaps more than anything, it brought me back to my first fleeting encounters with mindfulness, a sense of inner peace.
I imagine we’ve all read someplace or other about the soul-nourishing value of meditation. We may find it in nature, through yoga, running, sipping coffee, prayer, or just closing our eyes after a busy day. Peace of mind is a gift from God, however fragile and fleeting. Peace is a gift we can learn to receive.
For me, it was learning the hard way.
I was a few months into a difficult divorce. Emotionally in turmoil, full of hurt and second guessing, guilt and anger. I had far too much time to reflect on it. I had no place to hide from the frenzied arguments in my head, tormenting myself like only I could, a crescendo of negative questions without answers. This particular evening, completely alone with my angst, I was consumed, panicking, heart racing.
So I stopped. I had to stop.
And I listened.
All I could hear was the sound of my breathing. The voice in my head had at last been silenced, if only for a moment or two.
I needed to be still, to listen to the silence.
Fifteen years have passed since those first awkward moments alone with my raw humanity. I have since learned to relish those quiet times. I am better at going there, too. Eyes closed, relaxed, at peace. It’s in those silent moments that, after a time, my imagination begins to step forward. My creative side gains mindspace. I plan. I dream. Sometimes, I just fall asleep, and that’s ok.
Some call that quiet place presence.
For others, it is a moment with God, renewing faith and nourishing the soul.
My quiet moments have become ever more important. Television off, pets asleep, blessed with my love by my side, a fire in the fireplace or a breeze through an open window.
Making time to rest, to refocus. Making space for possibility.
It can be all these things.
With focus and determination, that voice can be silenced. Each of us, in our own time and place, can find a unique path that can bring the hectic thinking to that precious pause.
I’m grateful every time I can step away from the craziness of life, a precious few moments to experience living.
This is my 52-week Writing Challenge #7, my 100wpd entry #14, More on my blog, my instagram, and in my book on collaboration. And rest assured, more from me on Medium. I love this place.
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