Silence: Are You Getting Enough?
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https://soundcloud.com/user-31492767/silence-are-you-getting-enough-jttg-february-2021
Mark 1:35:
“Then Jesus got up early in the morning when it was still very dark, departed, and went out to a deserted place, and there he spent time in prayer.”
You don’t need to be tasked with turning water into wine to appreciate the restorative power of silence.
The guy who maintains “Inbox Zero”, puts in untold hours of face time at the (virtual) office, and maintains an uninterrupted line of communication with everyone in his circle — -he’s heralded.
And there is value in multitasking, given the demands and time constraints of everyday living.
Alas, not nearly enough weight is given to the dangers of cognitive overload, insisting your mind has something to do at every waking moment. I’m not just talking about challenging tasks here, time spent penning a work memo or planning your next social obligation. I’m including reflexively throwing on some music to fill dead air or watching television to help you fall asleep.
Many of us have a real discomfort with extended bouts of silence.
A few thought leaders are warning against the threat of ever-present noise to the development of current and future generations. Unchecked use of technology is today’s iteration of Boiling Frog Syndrome.
You would never exercise seven days a week for four hours each day for months on end, would you? Of course not. Sore legs and an aching back would introduce you to the concept of “Overtraining” soon enough.
Your brain is no different. It requires planned rest on a regular basis if you want it to stay in tip-top shape. It needs a break from time to time, a chance to recalibrate and focus.
Tom Brady — -43-year-old future Hall of Fame quarterback — -asked his family to move out of the house in the lead-up to his latest Super Bowl appearance. Anything we can learn from him?
Alone time, a chance to truly examine your thoughts, is essential for establishing patterns of clear thinking. An accomplished life demands bouts of solitude, really.
Let’s take a look at a practical application of regaining control of your mental space: Cell phone use.
Like any tool, phones can provide needed leverage or inflict serious damage — -even to the one wielding it — — if used thoughtlessly.
Take control of your personal communication arm by deciding how — -and when — -you’ll respond to notifications.
If you’ve spent the last decade training others to expect a response from you within ten minutes, this will require some inward change and some external initiative. If pushed on how you’ve become less responsive, let others know that you may be slower to return texts and calls going forward. Assure them that you don’t value their communication any less than before — -you’ve just decided to compartmentalize your time.
Don’t be a hypocrite here, either: No longer can you get miffed when you don’t receive immediate responses to your messages.
Most reasonable people will not give you a hard time about this and you can address genuinely-urgent situations as they crop up.
My own phone is on silent all day, usually because I forget to turn the sound back on in the mornings. The alarm is the only notification that is audible.
(I have left my phone on silent for years, overnight, because of group chat messages that would trickle in during twilight hours. Being jostled awake by a message that’s neither urgent or important gets old, fast.)
Communicate with me long enough and you learn that I can be slow to respond to messages. Not because I’m purposely-ignoring them; I just may not see them. I go stretches of time not looking at my phone.
And when I do see a message, I like to craft thoughtful responses that cover exactly what I’m thinking. Add to that phone keyboards that are too small for my fingers and it could be some time before you hear back from me.
With enough initiative and forethought, you can train others on how to interact with you. The establishment of strong boundaries helps here.
Periods of quiet provide the opportunity for your mind — -and spirit — -to unscramble riddles that are blocking your advancement. With distraction eliminated, moments of clarity begin to pile up, leading to epiphanies that move you forward.
A story…..
Matthew 25: The Parable of the Ten Virgins
“At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish and five were wise. 3 The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. 4 The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. 5 The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.
6 “At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’
7 “Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. 8 The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’
9 “‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’
10 “But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut.
11 “Later the others also came. ‘Lord, Lord,’ they said, ‘open the door for us!’
12 “But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I don’t know you.’
13 “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.”
There are a few lessons embedded in that scripture, but the biggest takeaway is the irreplaceability of time. There’s only so much of you to go around: Time dictates outcomes. The quantity — -and quality — of your attention determines what you will experience in every facet of your existence.
I’ve had my own brushes with mortality, but could use a reminder every now and again.
Note that this article is not encouragement to become a cold fish, rudely ignoring messages and calls. Just be mindful of how connected you are to your devices. Be able to sever ties to ensure your device isn’t a functional ball and chain.
A tranquil mind is a powerful one. Your cognitive troops are unified under a single banner, ready to march towards your most important goals.
When you spend time in silence, apart from the cacophony of sounds and voices that define Twenty-First Century living, your mind wanders to all sorts of places. Some of those, uncomfortable, others, inspiring.
Maybe you start questioning what’s sapping up your time and chop off the unessential.
The willingness to set foot on that path — -that’s what we’re after here.
