Happy New Year’s Eve! Over this holiday break, I’ve had the opportunity to watch regular television and listen to regular radio.
And man! I have to say, these forms of “entertainment” are LOUD.
I killed my TV many years ago. When I’m driving, I typically only listen to audio books or a couple specific talk radio shows. Or nothing at all.
So sitting in my parent’s living room, watching regular cable TV full of rowdy commercials was somewhat…unsettling.
And here’s what I know: silence is beautiful.
The TV’s constant noise, the excessive volume, the loud music, and even the shouting make me edgy and tense. And I bet it makes you tense, too, and you don’t even realize it.
Now, I also understand that complete silence might make you tense and edgy if you’re not used to it. Maybe don’t go into silence cold turkey, okay?
Ease in to it. Watch less TV. Turn off the radio in your car for short stretches of time (between lights…or maybe just for the five minutes before you arrive home).
Another way to introduce silence into your life is by managing your technology. All the beeps, bings, buzzes, and vibrations serve to keep you hyper-alert, a state of being that definitely makes you edgy and tense.
Practice being in silence and see if you begin to feel the “tense and edgy” fall away. See if you begin to enjoy the silence. You’ll know how you’re doing when you’re exposed to the daily noise of life (TV, radio, technology) and it doesn’t feel “good” or normal anymore.
Silence is golden. Once you begin to embrace it, you’ll discover a couple things:
- Being in silence allows you to focus and get more done
- Silence allows you to hear your own thoughts, ideas, and brilliance
Embrace the silence and see what it can do for you!
Make some room,
Angie
P.S. Just a quick reminder – you can deliberately create more quiet in your life by learning how to be a Gmail Master. Join me for Gmail 101 on January 10th. Reserve your seat today.
P.S.S. I shared my very personal Make Some Room Manifesto with you a couple weeks ago. I’ve had numerous requests to get these printed up in poster form. And they’ve arrived just in time for the New Year. If you’d like to order a full-color 11″ x 17″ print, I’d be honored. This Manifesto is a wonderful daily reminder to Make Some Room in your life for the things that matter most to you.