Noise! It surrounds us every day. People talking, traffic and car radios blaring, phones ringing and, of course, the television. The sounds of daily life combine to create a constant humming buzz of distraction. It can become so deafening at times that I can no longer hear my own thoughts and feelings. This is when I have learned to seek the quiet.
Nature is a prime source of serenity. A walk in the woods. Puttering in the garden, cultivating life in partnership with the earth. Laying on a blanket staring up at a starry sky. Putting down the smart phone. Basking in the solitude of the early morning, before the rest of the world wakes up. Discovering the stillness and silence that allow the heart and soul to be heard.
Quiet doesn't always mean you are alone with no sound though. The ultimate quiet is found deep within yourself and can be accessed at any time, wherever you are. This takes patience to perfect. The most unsettling roar is often the cacophony of anxiety, depression, busy thoughts and self doubt raging in your own mind. I didn't fully understand this until I first tried meditation. I set up a tranquil space and placed my body in a relaxed physical state, but the monkeys in my mind refused to cooperate. They hopped around screeching even more than usual when I removed all competition for attention and they took center stage. In fact, quiet can actually be intensely uncomfortable when you are not accustomed to it. It's taken years of practice (and hardcore negotiation with the mental monkeys) to learn to access my core. Some days I am more successful at it than others. But when I am, like the eye of the storm, there is a beautiful peace and wisdom to be found at spirit center.
Learning to create and exist in the quiet is well worth the effort. To truly hear what your heart has to say, when you take the time to listen. It may surprise you.
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