The phrase 'Silence is Golden' was very popular when I was little girl. I was born during the baby boomer generation where children were meant to be seen and not heard. Fast forward decades later and times have changed. Children are encouraged to engage in conversation with adults especially at the dinner table. When you do hear the phrase now, it is most likely with a little humour and a little bit of hope (especially when your little ones are full of non-stop questions).
Silence is Golden actually comes from a 9th century proverb 'Speech is silver, silence is golden'. The intention of this proverb was simple. Silence should always be considered first before the spoken word i.e. if you can't say something nice don't say anything at all.
But just for this blog I really want to focus on another interpretation of SILENCE IS GOLDEN.
For most adults, sitting in silence is their worst nightmare. Being conditioned with constant stimuli for years has made us afraid of our own silence. Falling asleep to the sounds of TV, listening to audio books or music while driving in your car, watching Instagram reels or Youtube videos during boring activities, are all examples of our constant need for stimulation. This addiction to stimulation prevents us from truly living in the moment. Instead it's turned us into multi-tasking sound junkies. Being in silence is now the enemy and avoided at all costs.
For the baby boomer generation, do you remember your childhood? We actually spent some time in silence, whether it was quietly playing with our our toys, or laying outside in the grass staring at the clouds, or sitting on the front stoop watching the cars go by. We only had 3-4 TV channels, no VCR and DVD players, no IPhones, no satellite radio, and no IPods. We enjoyed just being in the moment, enjoying the silence and watching the world going by.
When was the last time you sat somewhere in total silence? If you can't remember where and when then maybe it's time to fix that. Our bodies and minds really do crave silence. It allows our minds and bodies to get a break, a break from processing the constant barrage of external stimuli. When we give our minds a break we can actually feel the positive difference in our mind and body.
Listen to silence. It has much to say. ~ Rumi
This brings me to mindfulness silence. When we let go of all of that stimulation we become mindful in the moment. You become aware of your surroundings, your breathing, your thoughts and your body. Your thoughts that were energized, multi-tasking and on high alert settle into an easy and gentle flow. Thoughts that you were not aware of before, now have time and space to be known. Some of those thoughts can:
hint at the next direction you should take with your life
provide solutions to problems that you've been stressing over for weeks
restart the creative juices that has been lying dormant
initiate current or future possibilities and projects
show you where you need to pull back or pick up speed
help you find deeper meaning in your life or this world
provide an awareness of who you really are
make you appreciate life ....aka...gratitudes
Mindfulness silence can transform your life. You just have to trust the process.
For me, mindfulness silence has had a huge impact on my life. It has allowed my creativity to blossom without boundaries. It inspired me to identify and grow my passions, to help people live a better and healthier life and to help ME live a fulfilling and inspired life. Without this gift, I would not be who I am or ended up where I am today.
There are so many benefits to adding a little silence into your day. Since these benefits are based solely on each person's personality, desires, and beliefs, what one person gains from silence will most likely be different from someone else's.
We don't need to fear silence instead we should be embracing it. Silence is your friend, your therapist, cheerleader, mentor, problem solver, gift giver, and healer. Why not try the best kept secret of silence? You have nothing to lose but everything to gain. In my book, silence is golden.