Enjoy The Silence

"Silence is not the absence of something but the presence of everything."

John Grossman

You may have noticed that the world around us is growing ever more noisy. Everywhere we go, there is the hum of constant sound, as people hurry from here to there, lost in a constant stream of technology that is suppose to 'connect' us, yet just ends up making us feel more isolated. The loudest noise can often be the mental commentary in our own mind, which rarely, if ever, quiets down enough for us to listen to the deep silence that is in the background of everything we hear. Is it any wonder that, with all of this inner and outer noise, our lives have become increasingly fragmented and unhappy, and our minds filled with anxiety, worry and fear?

Recovering our sanity and peace however is as simple as shifting our awareness from this endless stream of noise, to listening deeply to the Silence that is always available in the here and now. If you doubt this; take a moment and close your eyes and take a few refreshing breaths. As you settle down, begin to listen very intently to the space around you, without judging or resisting what you hear. As you focus on your listening, notice the underlying silence that is just waiting for your recognition of it. In this deep listening, relax your busy mind and actually begin to hear the silence that fills the space around, and within you.

This profound silence is what the Christian Mystic Meister Eckhart called, 'the language of God'. If we remember to do this on a regular basis, even every hour, we will begin to cultivate a very deep silence and stillness in our lives, no matter how much 'noise' is going on around us. All that is required is to listen to the sound of silence, and be willing to 'hear' what it has to tell you.