Another day. Another schedule to follow. More meetings and classes to go to. More work and more things to get done. It seems as if there is an endless cycle of waking up, getting everything done that needs to be done, and struggling to make plans and fit everything in. By the end of the day, you just want to crash into bed and prepare yourself for the next day- a day that may consist of the same exact things you did the day before.
We all live in a world where there is always so much going on. Even during those times we’re alone, there is still something that seems to be happening. Maybe it’s the sound of those outside; screaming and yelling when a snowball fight breaks out. Maybe it’s coming from outside your door; the sound of people running up and down the hallway trying to get somewhere important. Maybe it’s the giggles you hear while trying to study at the next table over, wondering what could possibly be going on.
As people, I see that everyone is striving to be a part of something nearly all the time, regardless of how introverted or extroverted we are. We could be a part of a group, or we could be sitting all by ourselves, taking in everything that is going on around us and wondering what could possibly be happening in their lives at that exact moment.
The point here is that sometimes we need to take a break from all of this. Even if it’s brief. Everyone needs to find a time to get away from all that is happening and to simply enjoy the silence.
Yes, that may seem difficult to do, but to be completely honest, it could most likely be because you are always wanting to know ‘what’s happening’ or ‘what’s going on’.
Believe it or not, it is so much easier to find this break than you think.
When you find that chance- the chance to get away from others and the rest of society, go take a break and find a place where no sound can bother you, or at least as much as you can. Maybe it’s a room that no one uses. Maybe it’s a study spot that no one else knows about. Maybe it’s a simple, short walk outside somewhere.
But when you do this, don’t think about anything at all whatsoever. Clear your mind of everything; your thoughts, your struggles, your curiosity. For me, this would be focusing on noticing surroundings that would not typically appear in my mind throughout a typical day. Close your eyes, relax, and take in the sounds that you would normally overlook during your hectic day.
Is it the sound of a fan that keeps turning on and off? Is it the footsteps of a person walking by on the carpet in heels? Is it the birds chirping or the wind blowing by? If you’re walking, could it be the sound of the ground beneath your feet after every step? Maybe it’s the sound of windows opening and closing at a building you go by. Or, is it simply nothing at all?
This, my friends, is the sound of silence. It is the sound you hear when you finally take a break from reality. It is the sound of everything that doesn’t get any attention during the “typical day”.
This is the sound of what it’s like to clear your mind and not worry about the other aspects that are occurring in your life. It is what you hear when you finally get away and take a break from all that is happening around you. It’s the sound of everything that is overlooked by other “greater” things happening in life.
If you’re so into the world and what’s happening; If you’re worried about what everyone else around you is doing; If you feel the need to be where the rest of society is or have a wanting to “fit in”-- please remember that it’s ok to take a break from everything that is going on. It is ok to take a break from the madness known as everyday life.
It is ok to enjoy the silence- the kind that no one thinks about.
