Silence is Golden

Sometimes you just need a minute of silence to think. In all the hustle and bustle it is so easy to get caught up with it all. I feel like sometimes we are afraid of the silence. There are things we don't want to think about. We just want to go on pretending that if we don't acknowledge it, it will take care of itself. And that's not a good place to be.

It's been such a long time since I've sat and read one of my [many] fiction books on my to-read list. It's not that I am not interested in reading the books, it's just that the easier and faster gratification items like the television and internet , or even music, seem to win out more than not. You would think that after being behind a computer all day at work, I wouldn't want to look at a screen at home, but it's actually the opposite affect. When I'm home I can do the personal things on the computer like chatting with someone from across the globe, or looking up a new music video. But it's really a mindset - after working all day we have been trained (or at least I have) to do something 'relaxing' after work. And sometimes reading, as much as I like it, seems like additional work. Now, maybe a book on CD is the better approach, but still the act of silently engrossing yourself in another person's mind of words is an incredible experience. And it's only in that way that you can appreciate all of the literary arts. I think it's great to listen to a book, but your imagination goes further when it is your mind doing all the thinking.

As you know, I have been following along with the happiness challenge; or at least I started to follow along at the beginning of the year. But it is something I want to get back into the habit of doing. The points that Gretchen Rubin offer are common sense, but it goes back to making things simpler. I encourage you to listen to some of the tips; they make for good advice. I just got back from my European adventure (will be another blog post), but what I really gained from it was realizing the fact, that for 2 weeks I only had 2 suitcases worth of possessions and I was absolutely fine. Obviously, there are comforts we live without when we are on vacation, but I am constantly reminded of how much STUFF we/I have and how eliminating some of that STUFF just frees up so much extra space for other non-material things.

I've been rambling on for most of this post, but there are a couple of things that I would like you to take away, that I also plan on doing:

1. Be silent, be still. Take a couple of moments for silence each week
2. Eliminate the STUFF. Figure out what's really important. Get rid of the other stuff, someone else could probably use it
3. Read a book. Our generation is on top of twitter and Facebook and pinster and the IPAD, but what's the last book your closest friends have read?
4. Deal with all the things you're not dealing with. They won't just go away.

#4 is very pertinent to me. I just have to do it!! No matter how scared we are that it might not work; if you don't try you can never succeed.

~BAM, get it done!