Silence. I wonder if it is at all possible to be in complete silence. We live in a noisy world with constant movement and never ending chatter. As we take a pause and aim for silence, everything seems a little more louder. Muffled, yet louder. Finding peace with silence is a challenge.
I aimed silence as I write this. Paused the jazz music in the background and turned the humming electric fan off. I thought after doing that there’d be silence. I was wrong. It’s not even the main street, yet the alley outside is too busy with cars passing and the school chatter nearby is getting louder and louder. It felt near even though I am floors above the street.
How can I be at peace with silence when I’ve never really achieved silence?
Still, I persisted.
As time went by, the noise outside went to a blur. I can’t even hear it anymore. I just focused on writing. With my laptop. Pressing the keys one after the other. Then, I noticed the clicking sound of my keyboards. Is it really this loud ever since? I’ve never really noticed until now. Just, when I aimed for silence. Funny.
Finding peace with silence? Is it even possible?
Well, we are not in a limbo nor in a vacuum. There will always be something in the background. The vibration of even the subtlest sounds and the ripples from the movement of every creature. Silence is more on focus and perception as we tend to hear more the sounds that grab our attention no matter how muted it may be. As we aim for silence, we focus more on the things that matter at that specific moment in time. Being at peace with silence allows us to listen to our hearts’ deepest desires. Our thoughts that have been muffled by the constant noise that surrounds us.
Real silence is about perception. It’s what you give your precious attention to. Be at peace with silence and maybe, finally, you’ll be able to hear yourself.
When you’re ready, these may give you a head start.
- Find a place where you can be alone. Yes, no pets.
- Turn off your devices (or mute them if you can’t) and place them far from you.
- Can you hear the appliances’ muted humming? Turn them off too (and accept the fact that you can’t just simply unplug your fridge — yes, my fridge breathes too).
- Try to block other immediate noise. Closing doors and windows might help.
- Now, stay still in your most comfortable position, quieten your mind, and embrace the silence that you’ve just created.
Remember, silence is about perception. What you are hearing as you stay still is where your attention is leaning.
Ponder on.
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