Tips for being quiet

Tips for being quiet
By: Marissa Anteby

In this world of ever increasing noise, it seems as if everyone is yelling louder than the next guy just trying to be heard. Things will continue getting nosier until we sit down and stop. Stop everything. Even our internal chatter has to cease.

When you take time to be with yourself, it becomes abundantly clear that all the rushing about, and mindless talk, is so unnecessary. Starting from a place of silence enables you to relate to yourself and others in a different manner. How many times do you make idle chit chat just to avoid an awkward pause in a conversation? Why? What's so bad about remaining quiet? You don't always have to be 'on,' or the 'entertainment committee,' ensuring everyone is engaged in dialogue. It's actually fine to sit and be still.

Refraining from just saying anything for the sake of talking will also help to make you more aware of the things you do choose to say going forward. Noticing when being silent brings up feelings of uneasiness can be something you might choose to explore further. What is the underlying feeling that you don't want to face? What does the chatter mask?

You may be pleasantly surprised at how your senses are heightened when you are silent. You will see things more vividly, hear things more precisely, even your sense of touch, smell, and taste, are all sharper and more alert when you keep quiet.

Try it out, can you be quiet for 10 minutes, how about 20? The more you practice, the easier it becomes. You'll actually experience a sense of inner calm that's hard to achieve with the constant distraction of noise. Life will seem to slow down for you, as if everything is working in your favor so you can figure things out more easily. Problems don't seem as big when you let them go for a bit and listen to nothing but the sound of your own breathing. You'll begin to deepen your connection to yourself, hearing your heartbeat louder than before, and feeling what it is to be alive in your own skin at this moment in time.

Give yourself the greatest gift of all; your own attention.

marissa@embodyinc.com
www.embodyinc.com