Silent Treatment
When I wake up each morning, the first thing I do is sit in silence. This may sound strange and maybe even extraordinarily foreign to some, but allow me to elaborate on my reasoning. For so many years, quite frankly all of them, I have been trained to wake up and start the day. But how does “starting the day” look? Of course, that varies from person to person. But for me, it was always- wake up and go, go, go. Get ready for the day, shower, check my email, check the news, check social media, check, check, check. Immediately to my phone the moment my eyelids sprang open every day. Every. Day. Does this sound familiar?
Look, I know it’s difficult to imagine that some people don’t go straight to their phone the minute they hit their alarm clock. I used to think that. Actually, in hindsight, the thought never crossed my mind. I was much too oblivious. I didn’t even realize what I was doing. Like a Groundhog Day on autopilot, the months blend into the years and suddenly my life was full of scrolling. Is that even a life?
I started becoming interested in mindfulness about a year and a half ago. Learning the different methods, techniques, and tools for simple awareness was something I didn’t even know was a thing. And if I did, I sure as hell was making fun of how ridiculous it seemed. So close-minded. But I also believe my approach to studying this new interest of mine was a huge catalyst to changing my heart around the idea of mindfulness. I was studying the mind from a scientific perspective. How brainwaves function, how thoughts create behavior, and behavior creates personality. This wasn’t some hippie retreat spotlighting a magical guru to answer all of life’s burning questions. It was simple logic. Somehow, that resonated with me and I became hooked.
The way our society functions in modern times is exhausting. But we don’t see it as exhausting, rather productive. The more we can get done in a day, the more accomplished we become, in turn leading to more and more success. There is absolutely no room for “quiet time”, meditation, silence. If you were to walk into a waiting room at a doctor’s office and see five people on their phones and one just sitting there, staring at the floor, what would you think? Kind of a weirdo, yeah? Who just sits there doing nothing? But that’s where we are as a society. Sitting, staring, silence; these are all “boring”, unproductive, and futile. Why even bother?
Have you ever stood on top of a mountain and looked around at all the beauty? Thinking how small you are in the grand scheme of life, how incredible nature is, how absolutely amazing and wild life truly is. That’s the feeling. That’s what silence brings. Sitting with ourselves, no distractions. Contemplating our entire existence, the meaning of life, purpose and pleasure, pain and suffering. Is this not the true nature of our beings, as human? We crave understanding of ourselves and our world. We desperately reach for wisdom and omniscience, enlightenment and nirvana. And yet, we remain in our distractions to stave off the pain. To delay the suffering just a bit longer, unknowingly compounding battle after battle until we crumble from the weight, back to dust again.
And this isn’t to say that silence automatically creates happiness. It doesn’t. Because happiness is not something you can attain, it’s something you work at day in and day out. You don’t achieve it, you become it. You choose it. But silence can help guide you to what choices will make you happiest. What paths to follow, people to engage with, interests to pursue. This is the true benefit of silence; clarity. By taking a few moments at the beginning to pause and reflect, you channel that clarity throughout your day. When your mind is clear, you are free to choose the higher thought, to choose how to respond to your triggers, to choose happiness and joy in each moment. You are no longer enslaved by your old habits of reaction and ignorance. Silence is where you find your peace. Embrace it.
