There is so much noise pollution in the ‘civilized’ world today
that true silence
is becoming a rare gift.
Taking pleasure in natural silence
has given me pleasure for as long as I can remember . . .
sitting on the ocean’s beach
in the quiet,
when no other human beings are around,
with only the music of the waves and the gulls
to quiet my soul,
walking through a forest with only birdsong
and the rustling of small creatures . . .
natural silence;
the desert,
far from the freeways,
sharing space with the cactus wren,
the wind and the ravens,
perhaps of the quietest places on earth.
I have learned to adapt most of the unnatural silence,
but either removing it from my awareness,
or tolerating it as just something neutral,
part of the world of today . . .
the refrigerator humming,
cars going by,
trucks riding the center line,
which has been treated with something
that creates a loud rumble
(to let drivers know they are veering out of their lane,
the occasional police or ambulance siren.
Most of these sounds are everyday things
and can find their place in the landscape of the moment . . .
I used to get quite annoyed at them
and felt like they were invading my meditative state,
but am at peace with them now.
Silence nourishes and heals me,
restores my equilibrium,
and brings me back to my heart.
Today and every day
I give myself the gift of silence
when I sit at the table,
here in my studio
and come to this place . . .
this is my sacred place
when the troubles of the world
and of my own heart
can fade away,
and I can simply be
without have to be,
do,
or see anything
other than the face of God,
Source,
the Divine. ♥
Today there were several opportunities to sit down on a bench or chair and just enjoying the silence of this beautiful sunny Saturday in nature. Bees humming, water running, sunshine warming everything around, and silence present in this peaceful place, allowing for rest and recovery.
I am fortunate to be able to enjoy the gift of silence every day, though sometimes I don’t consider it a gift. It is those days I need it the most. I live on 5 acres of land, down a private road, and very few people living nearby. It is almost always quiet, with the exception of the wildlife and the wind rustling the trees, and most of the time I find peace in it’s silence. Some days though my brain won’t be shut up, some days the silence hurts, some days it makes me long for the days when all my children were little and alive and noisy, some days I pray for noise. On other days I need the silence to heal, to reflect, and to give me a break from the world. Today, I will make time for the silence to be a gift by leaving my chores for later and using my silent time to heal from my busy week.
I too,
dear Kim,
know about this contradiction
and sometimes struggle with it myself.
It’s one thing to be alone,
and another to be lonely.
The best thing for me in appreciating silence
is to come home to it
after an overdose of society.
Be well . . .
listen to the wind . . .
look up at the sky. ♥
I’m lucky enough to be in the mountains today, in a place whose natural state is calm and still. I will soak up as much as I can before heading back home to the sounds of the city.
I have quiet in my house right now, and not silence. Rain drips from the sky and the eaves of the house. Birds start to chirp, signaling that the rain is likely ending. I hear slight sounds from my husband moving around in the other room.
When I go for short walks to get away from my computer screen (which is 100% of my work life) I often listen to a French class or podcast on my headphones. When I walk without that I focus more on the world around me. I’ll take some of today’s walks in silence.
To me, it means being silent in order to truly listen. One of my challenges is active listening which my mind often wanders, even if it looks like I’m sitting there paying attention. But in reality, I’m not fully present. I just remind myself to improve a bit each day, and I believe I’ll become a good listener.
May you all enjoy a beautiful weekend!
My Ngoc, easier said than done, especially in the modern age where there’s more technology, pleasures, and distractions. We have to put in even more effort in that area than our parents’s generation and before. Our soft skills have certainly regressed.
I made some time for silence when I got out of bed earlier than my mind wanted to. I didn’t sleep well, but I still like to get up at a decent hour to sit quietly, meditate, have coffee, and then come to this site. I’ll find a way to make time and space for the gift of silence later today… we’ll see what opens up on the path, as I don’t have any real plans other than preparing for yoga classes.
I’m so grateful that the sun is shining this morning! Happy Friday, friends 🙂
I read Vietnamese books from my mom’s friends. When I read in Vietnamese, I read out loud for improvement, because I’m more fluid in English. Having something to focus on helps me silence my mind to. Not only that, I find the bible helpful as well, especially verses of the day on my bible App.
One verse I live by is from proverbs 16 27 on how idol hands are the devil’s workshop. I’m a firm believer that when we have idol time, we’re more vulnerable to negativity. Free time and idol time is different. I define free time as rest. Idol time just has a negative feel and leads to agendas. Free time can turn into idol, because there’s the old saying of “If you rest, you rust.”
Christina, you remind me of Ngoc. She does the exact same thing in the morning. When she wakes up, she makes coffee and reads in her catholic bible verse of the day too.
I enjoy the silence from humankind’s racket each and every day. Silence and solitude are my constant companions if I do not go into town. Even when I do it is brief, just to accomplish what business I may have on any particular day. Gotta keep that currency, or numbers as like to think about money, circulating. Nature at the moment is very still. No wind. No birds yet chirping. The water, seeking its level, is making a soothing sound. Aqua es vida. Peace, love and may all enjoy and make space for silence, if possible.
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I survived my week with my boss out of the country. I will appreciate the gift of silence tonight 😴
You deserve the rest and silence, Robin Ann.
There is so much noise pollution in the ‘civilized’ world today
that true silence
is becoming a rare gift.
Taking pleasure in natural silence
has given me pleasure for as long as I can remember . . .
sitting on the ocean’s beach
in the quiet,
when no other human beings are around,
with only the music of the waves and the gulls
to quiet my soul,
walking through a forest with only birdsong
and the rustling of small creatures . . .
natural silence;
the desert,
far from the freeways,
sharing space with the cactus wren,
the wind and the ravens,
perhaps of the quietest places on earth.
I have learned to adapt most of the unnatural silence,
but either removing it from my awareness,
or tolerating it as just something neutral,
part of the world of today . . .
the refrigerator humming,
cars going by,
trucks riding the center line,
which has been treated with something
that creates a loud rumble
(to let drivers know they are veering out of their lane,
the occasional police or ambulance siren.
Most of these sounds are everyday things
and can find their place in the landscape of the moment . . .
I used to get quite annoyed at them
and felt like they were invading my meditative state,
but am at peace with them now.
Silence nourishes and heals me,
restores my equilibrium,
and brings me back to my heart.
Today and every day
I give myself the gift of silence
when I sit at the table,
here in my studio
and come to this place . . .
this is my sacred place
when the troubles of the world
and of my own heart
can fade away,
and I can simply be
without have to be,
do,
or see anything
other than the face of God,
Source,
the Divine. ♥
Today there were several opportunities to sit down on a bench or chair and just enjoying the silence of this beautiful sunny Saturday in nature. Bees humming, water running, sunshine warming everything around, and silence present in this peaceful place, allowing for rest and recovery.
Usually I make time right in the AM for silence- as of this moment I have not carved out a space. I am hoping I will do so soon🤞🏼
I am fortunate to be able to enjoy the gift of silence every day, though sometimes I don’t consider it a gift. It is those days I need it the most. I live on 5 acres of land, down a private road, and very few people living nearby. It is almost always quiet, with the exception of the wildlife and the wind rustling the trees, and most of the time I find peace in it’s silence. Some days though my brain won’t be shut up, some days the silence hurts, some days it makes me long for the days when all my children were little and alive and noisy, some days I pray for noise. On other days I need the silence to heal, to reflect, and to give me a break from the world. Today, I will make time for the silence to be a gift by leaving my chores for later and using my silent time to heal from my busy week.
I too,
dear Kim,
know about this contradiction
and sometimes struggle with it myself.
It’s one thing to be alone,
and another to be lonely.
The best thing for me in appreciating silence
is to come home to it
after an overdose of society.
Be well . . .
listen to the wind . . .
look up at the sky. ♥
I’m lucky enough to be in the mountains today, in a place whose natural state is calm and still. I will soak up as much as I can before heading back home to the sounds of the city.
I have quiet in my house right now, and not silence. Rain drips from the sky and the eaves of the house. Birds start to chirp, signaling that the rain is likely ending. I hear slight sounds from my husband moving around in the other room.
When I go for short walks to get away from my computer screen (which is 100% of my work life) I often listen to a French class or podcast on my headphones. When I walk without that I focus more on the world around me. I’ll take some of today’s walks in silence.
Oh, the sound of rain sounds nice.
At work today I can enjoy praying and let go!
There are many opportunities for silence in my life. I want to see them as gift and respect that.
Since I’m retired, I can always make time for silence. That said, many times my monkey mind will not hush.
Don’t forget,
dear Carol Ann,
you can always invite the monkey in
for a cup of tea. 🙂
To me, it means being silent in order to truly listen. One of my challenges is active listening which my mind often wanders, even if it looks like I’m sitting there paying attention. But in reality, I’m not fully present. I just remind myself to improve a bit each day, and I believe I’ll become a good listener.
May you all enjoy a beautiful weekend!
My Ngoc, easier said than done, especially in the modern age where there’s more technology, pleasures, and distractions. We have to put in even more effort in that area than our parents’s generation and before. Our soft skills have certainly regressed.
I made some time for silence when I got out of bed earlier than my mind wanted to. I didn’t sleep well, but I still like to get up at a decent hour to sit quietly, meditate, have coffee, and then come to this site. I’ll find a way to make time and space for the gift of silence later today… we’ll see what opens up on the path, as I don’t have any real plans other than preparing for yoga classes.
I’m so grateful that the sun is shining this morning! Happy Friday, friends 🙂
A Happy Friday to you to, SunnyPatti.
I read Vietnamese books from my mom’s friends. When I read in Vietnamese, I read out loud for improvement, because I’m more fluid in English. Having something to focus on helps me silence my mind to. Not only that, I find the bible helpful as well, especially verses of the day on my bible App.
One verse I live by is from proverbs 16 27 on how idol hands are the devil’s workshop. I’m a firm believer that when we have idol time, we’re more vulnerable to negativity. Free time and idol time is different. I define free time as rest. Idol time just has a negative feel and leads to agendas. Free time can turn into idol, because there’s the old saying of “If you rest, you rust.”
I really feel the gift of silence when I first get up. That’s when I do my spiritual readings and make coffee.
Christina, you remind me of Ngoc. She does the exact same thing in the morning. When she wakes up, she makes coffee and reads in her catholic bible verse of the day too.
Thanks Loc!
No problem, Christina.
I enjoy the silence from humankind’s racket each and every day. Silence and solitude are my constant companions if I do not go into town. Even when I do it is brief, just to accomplish what business I may have on any particular day. Gotta keep that currency, or numbers as like to think about money, circulating. Nature at the moment is very still. No wind. No birds yet chirping. The water, seeking its level, is making a soothing sound. Aqua es vida. Peace, love and may all enjoy and make space for silence, if possible.
You’re lucky to live in such a silent place, Joseph.
We are fortunate that we were able to get this place, and stay here since, in 1998. Thank you, Drea.