Listening to the Silence

kenpodragon

Sometimes when I have gotten home from a busy day or spent way to much time with family members, I like to go into my office or out into the garden. At this time I will sit and listen to the silence. The lack of noise brings me peace at times, when I do not have to hear everyone's problems or deal with how upset everyone thinks the world is making them. I have time to actually look into my own views and thoughts and see if they are the way that I truly want them. Do you know what I find?

Well often I find that I am allowing other people to affect me to much. To much of my thoughts come from things that others have said or done to me and not enough comes from what I have said or done for myself. I realize that I often dwell to long on stress from the day, and ignore and let pass by those moments I should have spent more time with. It is interesting to me how much others affect us, how we allow ourselves to think so deep on what they said or did. It seems so trivial to dissect what their words meant or what their actions intended. Yet here I sit sometime in the silent corner of my life, and here are those words and those thoughts breaking up the moment that I wanted to be mine. Why do I allow this?

Could it be because I care so much about pleasing people, or about pleasing myself? Could it be because I am not giving myself enough answers that mean something to me, but rather finding quick answers to let those thoughts file inside where I can forget them? In all, it seems that I am not alone. For on boards like this one and others that cover different topics, I see many thoughts and many questions. I see that no one truly has all the right answers, whether you be 17 or 80 or somewhere in the between. That people question more as they get older, and answers that once mattered have become questions that now warrant no concern. Where does it all lead?

To that corner of silence, that office space or that garden. To the place where I can resolve a little more. Yet learn a lot, much quicker. Listening to the silence, hearing what words need to be said and allowing them to speak. What I find is me, sitting inside wanting to speak more fully and wanting to accept more of what life really offers. Why do I allow this? Because in the same way that I want the garden to grow, these questions and these deep ponderings allow my mind to grow more into that person who has been with me all along. The person who was always strong, the person who was always happy and the person I become every day with each moment. With each question, and with each thought. As I sit here in my office, or my garden and "listen to the silence." That little humming of my active mind.

new boy

there is no answer that is not already known by you, you just choose to remember it.

when you hear a truth you say to yourself

"I know that" or "I have known that"

praying is talking to God, medition is listening.

heathen

I think we can all relate to what you are saying .At times it is better to be alone with your thoughts so you can concentrate on important decisions but I still wouldn't want to wind up in solitary confinement.Too much of anything is not a good thing IMO.THis is definately a world full of stress and strife caused by the necessity to spend so much time around other people who constantly affect our lives for good or bad ,in fact it is harder to find people we would consider a good influence so most of the time we are dealing with the bad influence which does at times makes it hard to socialize and maintain a balance for a productive life.There is so much dysfunction it is hard to even respect most people and again in my opinion ,I find most people are not happy unless they feel they are manipulating other people to their own end.Even just watching tv we see entire networks who are fighting over ratings to the point I feel, that quality programming is falling to the wayside in the wake of sex and violence which as we know is the best ratings.In conclusion ,I can appreciate the simple things such as reading a good book or simply watching the night sky for shooting stars ,or as you mentioned walking through botanical gardens of which we do have some very nice ones in ft.worth texas.

Undecided

Hi Ken,

For over 20 years I just put all these questions of God, Truth, the future out of my mind. I was at peace with myself and enjoyed my hobbies and family. Now that I have retired and have so much time to think, I am going nuts over all this religion, meaning of life, God, nature, finding some real truth etc. I'm almost ready to go back to my blank mind, it seems that's where I will end up anyway, with no answers to satisfy my longing for truth.

I do love my quiet times in the back yard, just sitting there listening at nature and watching the birds, and squirls, the wind blowing in the trees, my dogs playing etc. I don't think I will ever have faith in any religion again though.

Ken P.

neyank

Sometimes, we learn much from silence.

neyank

Kenneson

"Then the Lord said [to Elijah], 'Go outside and stand on the mountain before the Lord; the Lord will be passing by.' A strong and heavy wind was rending the mountains and crushing rocks before the Lord--but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake--but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake there was fire--but the Lord was not in the fire. After the fire there was a tiny whispering sound. When he heard this, Elijah hid his face in his cloak and went and stood at the entrance of the cave.' " 1 Kings 19:11-13

God speaks in the still, small voice within.

Francois

Kenneson, you have hit the nail on the head. And this is why the accurate translation of the scripture is, "...the kingdom of heaven is within you." And NOT the deliberate manner in which it is mis-rendered by the JWs.

That small, still voice certainly is the leading of the Infinite Spirit.

And finding a way to quiet the loud chatter of the left brain is the only way to hear it.

Francois

animal

thats why I love riding my bike.... straight pipes screaming.... and yet it is silent to me. I think my best on the bike, no one around to bother me.

Buy a bike, hit the highway... you will get into the "mode" and your mind will take off and do things it never did before. Really, ask anyone that rides.

Animal

scootergirl

I agree 110%, animal. When I am on my bike ALL my senses are alive...kinda tuned in. I hear NO ONE......it is very relaxing.

I have noticed that the older I have gotten I yearn for more silence in my life. Too many years I listened to too many people. I like the quietness of my life. I don't like the noise anymore....I like the nice, quiet, solitude that I longed for so many years.

Listening to the Silence

Share this