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| Silence by Giulia van Pelt CC BY NC ND |
There is a theory that once you notice or become interested in something, you start seeing it everywhere. The idea pops up in articles you read, conversations you overhear, products you see. What would have otherwise seemed random becomes a pattern, something more than coincidence. It seems like the universe is telling you to follow this white rabbit.
I listen to a number of podcasts. Most of them are business and finance-related so there are the inevitable common themes -- saving, earning more, giving. Often, the same author will appear on several podcasts within a few weeks if they have a new book coming out. On occasion, though, a theme will appear that seems unexpected. Recently I had two podcasts cover silence. These two episodes showed up back-to-back creating that flashing sign saying, "This is for you."
Both podcasts covered how difficult it is to find silence in our daily lives. They both encouraged actively making time for silence. But more important than silence was the idea of listening. Listening to what comes through the silence. What does your brain say? What does your body tell you? How does the air sound when there is quiet? When you think you have utter silence, what is still there?
We talk about active listening as part of being good communicators. Instead of simply waiting to talk, truly understanding what the other person is saying. How often do we practice active listening to ourselves? Truly understand what we are saying when we aren't making a sound? Truly understanding our environments instead of the constant movement and productivity we feel required to do?
Here are the two episodes if you are interested in listening:
On Being Podcast: http://www.onbeing.org/program/gordon-hempton-silence-and-the-presence-of-everything/4557
Pivot Podcast: http://www.pivotmethod.com/podcast/silence
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