Noise

This morning at breakfast the convection oven’s fan was running, the refrigerator’s fan was humming, and the coffee pot was spitting out its elixir. All these things are fine and really don’t bother me, but I noticed the moment they all became silent. I was instantly aware of the quiet. It was refreshing. It even made a smile spread across my face. Then I realized that we constantly live in a loud world. I even believe that we are unconsciously afraid of the silence and prefer the noise to mask our thoughts.

As I write this the house is still, but outside I hear a dog barking and trucks changing gears on the road a fair piece from the house. It is incredible what we can hear if we take the time to listen. When raising a family noise is a constant. Working in an office there is always a rumble of voices and phones ringing. Department stores have music, voices, dings from the elevators – noise is all around, all the time. Even when we come home from a busy day – we flip on the television or play music on our phones or the endless noises of prepping for tomorrow. Noise! 

What happens if silence comes? In the middle of the night, when all is calm, can you deal with the overwhelming quiet? I can’t. There has to be a fan whirling it’s lullaby for me to sleep. The fact is, when the noise is gone and all that is left is the silence, I am forced to think. My brain just kicks in and thinks about everything from family, finances, or what tomorrow holds. Sometimes it’s good to think through these things, but sometimes it’s scary. I think I would rather just be numb and allow the noise to drown out the thoughts. 

However, in reality, we need the silence in our lives. In these moments we can be massively productive. We can solve problems before they begin if we are on top of it. The thing that help me is lists. Yes, I am one of those list makers. I make lists of lists I need to make. It’s a little over the top, but it works for me. The great thing about lists is that it gets the thoughts out of my head and onto paper. Then I don’t have to think about them anymore. This doesn’t happen very well when noise is all around me. I tend to get distracted by the noise.

Thoughtfulness Action:

Today, pay attention to your times of noise and silence. Are you making the most of your quiet times? They can certainly be productive on many levels of your life. If noise is the most dominate feature of your life, consider finding a way to bring about some silence. It will be good for you and then you can be good for others. It’s always about making yourself into the best version of you – embrace the silence!