Silence
As I sit at Starbucks, a place to be and work with comfort and a cozy beverage, has made me want to run to the Library. I've only been here a little over an hour and I am beginning to feel my head ache and skin crawl. The noise here is unbearable. People talking loudly near by, espresso machines, music above and to top it all off... the door screeches everytime it closes! I would have thought someone would have complained by now. It was making this noise two weeks ago when I was in here. Ugh!
Well, I just read this article found on the BBC website. It is about a group of volunteers that took eight days in a monastery, in total silence, except for a one hour meeting everyday. What a journey, what an adventure. I've been a bit of a hermit lately. Our lives have gotten so much busier, so I find myself avoiding friends for four days straight just so I can catch up on alone time. Even in that silence, though, I am often online or at least listening to music. I have hardly found silence. There's so much rest I am actually not receiving. I want to have that silent time but so often I have that option and don't take it. In the article one of the volunteers stated that "You grow spiritually, you have to face yourself. You have to face who you really are and that can be quite a shock." I have so much to process and yet with all the time I have, its always easier to rot the day away, barely reflecting.
So I want to try. Starting tomorrow... :). I'll still be reachable by phone and I'll still check e-mail. But on my days at home I'm not going to play music, or watch movies, I'm going to take time to paint and listen.
"We all knew we were going to face up to things we didn't want to face. I had massive belly cries, clinging-to-the-wall cries but they're actually quite cathartic. In the end, what we found out was it wasn't half as daunting as I thought it would be," one of the volunteers admitted. Imagine that kind of insight. Want to try being silent with me?
Well, I just read this article found on the BBC website. It is about a group of volunteers that took eight days in a monastery, in total silence, except for a one hour meeting everyday. What a journey, what an adventure. I've been a bit of a hermit lately. Our lives have gotten so much busier, so I find myself avoiding friends for four days straight just so I can catch up on alone time. Even in that silence, though, I am often online or at least listening to music. I have hardly found silence. There's so much rest I am actually not receiving. I want to have that silent time but so often I have that option and don't take it. In the article one of the volunteers stated that "You grow spiritually, you have to face yourself. You have to face who you really are and that can be quite a shock." I have so much to process and yet with all the time I have, its always easier to rot the day away, barely reflecting.
So I want to try. Starting tomorrow... :). I'll still be reachable by phone and I'll still check e-mail. But on my days at home I'm not going to play music, or watch movies, I'm going to take time to paint and listen.
"We all knew we were going to face up to things we didn't want to face. I had massive belly cries, clinging-to-the-wall cries but they're actually quite cathartic. In the end, what we found out was it wasn't half as daunting as I thought it would be," one of the volunteers admitted. Imagine that kind of insight. Want to try being silent with me?
Comments