Silence is a text easy to misread. ~A.A. Attanasio
Have you ever sat quietly without speaking and have some well intentioned person said to you “what’s wrong, you’re so quiet?” Why is there an assumption that something is wrong when someone sits in silence?
Why are we uncomfortable with silence?
When I was growing up my dad would introduce me to adults by saying “she’s the quite one.” Back then, I enjoyed being silent and today I still do. “Silence is golden”
Being silent helped me to develop a strong intuitive awareness. It strengthened my listening and observation skills.
“A wise old owl sat on an oak; the more he saw the less he spoke; the less he spoke the more he heard; why aren’t we like that wise old bird?” English Nursery Rhyme
Why are YOU uncomfortable with silence?
Could it be you’re uncomfortable with silence because you don’t want to see your nakedness. You become naked in silence. You can’t hide. You can’t run. It’s just you with your thoughts and raw emotions, exploring the inner journey without the distraction of sound.
“Everybody should have his personal sounds to listen for – sounds that will make him exhilarated and alive or quite and calm…. One of the greatest sounds of them all – and to me it is a sound – is utter, complete silence.” ~Andre Kostelanetz
Others are uncomfortable with your silence because they don’t want to look at their nakedness and how dare you be comfortable with yours.
“True silence is the rest of the mind; it is to the spirit what sleep is to the body, nourishment and refreshment.” ~William Penn
“Silence clears away the cobwebs, removes old roots and cleanses the mind of toxic thoughts.” ~ Adalia
It’s a wrap
Embrace Silence! Be comfortable with your nakedness. It will nurture your mind, body and spirit.
Your turn
Are comfortable with silence?
If you enjoyed reading this post, be sure to fill out this form to receive my blog post updates by e-mail, leave a comment below and share this with your family and friends.
Is lack of confidence holding you back? Are you ready for a change? You’ll benefit from my FREE strategy session. Contact me today. You’ll be glad you did.
Image: Wikimedia Commons
I always got mixed messages about silence from my parents. I was a talker. I’d talk so much in school that I turned detention into a social event. My teachers would write on my report card that I was very smart & polite, but talked too much. Needless to say, I was always told to be quiet. Then, when I finally was quiet, everyone (especially my parents) would ask “What’s wrong with you? Why are you so quiet? Are you sick?”
To this day, whenever I want to be alone with my thoughts, or don’t feel like carrying on a lengthy conversation, my mom will ask “What’s wrong, are you sick?” Then I have to convince her that I’m not sick & begin talking until she tells me to keep quiet!
Hello Anne,
You’re awesome!! Parents have good intentions and they make decisions based on their own upbringing. Unfortunately, sometimes their good intention does not always help their children to grow and achieve their full potential. I hope I was a mom who nurtured her children to achieve their potential. I guess I should ask them, yes?
Thanks for sharing all this great information. Keep up the good work and will
for sure come back to read more.
Hello Kjell,
I appreciate you stopping by and I’m glad you got value from this post.