My husband is currently reading a book called QUIET. It’s about the power of introverts in an extroverted world. When he first showed it to me, I laughed out loud, almost as if I was scoffing at him. I am extremely extroverted, and for a long time I believed that you HAVE TO BE that way if you’re going to “get ahead” in this world. After all, it’s the squeaky wheel that gets the oil, “it’s not what you know but who you know,” and it’s all about how to win friends and influence people, right?
Wrong.
Lately, I’ve been discovering (and relishing in!) in the power of quiet. There’s tremendous value in quiet, which can come in a myriad of forms. To be quiet is to be still, to be silent, to be suspended from the hubbub. To be quiet is to lie on my bed for 20 minutes and zone out, to read a book on a Sunday afternoon for an hour, to take a walk without my iTunes. To be quiet is to go INSIDE, to listen, imagine, notice, acknowledge, feel, and be in touch with the human being that you are. That kind of thing used to bore me and/or freak me out and/or cause me to muster an excuse to go find a “real” person with whom I could chat. Things change over time, however, and I find that as I get older I like a quiet afternoon painting much more than I like to be out and about at a noisy sidewalk café. I prefer time spent with others in intimate conversation as opposed to being a guest at “the big bash.” I enjoy sitting up late to read a good novel instead of engaging Facebook one last time for the day.
I’m learning to appreciate and enjoy quiet.
And what’s more–I find that I NEED quiet in my day—just for me—and that when I don’t get it, I start to get cranky. I get bitchy. I get irritable. I am NOT fun to be around. For a long time, I did not recognize this need for quiet in myself; after all, I am an extrovert, and we get our energy from being WITH people. That said, however, I also recognize that even a prized horse must have down-time, else s/he wouldn’t be able to continue to race. So it goes with me, too, apparently. This middle-aged mare needs to retreat to her stable sometimes!
What does quiet allow me?
- Rest. It’s not always in the form of sleep and always welcome for keeping vital organs and systems functioning! Quiet time allows your physical, mental, and emotional bodies to get their much-deserved time off.
- Sustainability. If you’re gonna run the marathon of life, you gotta know how to pace yourself. Quiet helps you to find a sustainable rhythm.
- ME Time. This is a BIG ONE for every single person on this planet. We all need time to ourselves. Quiet is one way to get that.
- Tank Filling. There’s nothing like a bit of silence to refuel your spirit and soul, resetting you for the next leg of the journey. A little quiet can fill you right up!
How do you think of quiet time? What do you do to cultivate it in your life?
I encourage you to cultivate some quiet in your week and see what difference it makes. Shhhhhhhhh! You might just surprise yourself.
xoxox,
