I am an extrovert, which means I process by talking. I know it can be annoying as this means I talk a lot. I have learned how to tune in and tone it down, so I do not exhaust my audience. Once I became comfortable with silence, everything changed. These words from Margaret Lee Runbeck highlight my silence lessons:
Eventually is it the silences which make
– Margaret Lee Runbeck
the real conversation between friends,
not the saying, but the never needing to say.
We live in a world that forces input, content and “noise” upon us every moment of every day. It is exciting, interesting and really exhausting. There are times I drive in silence simply because I can. It helps me slow down and realize that the world is still spinning even if I am not hearing something or talking. The internet is an amazing tool and link to the world, it is also an easy way to seem connected when really we sound and noise that has allowed us to lose our connection to peace and ourselves.
Real conversations do not always need words or sound. They can be sustained by silence. Simply being with someone and letting the silence wash over the moments together has a great power and impact. Knowing that you are safe to be silent is a powerful thing. It reminds us that we are known, we are appreciated, and loved even if we do not use words. And then once the words do come, they mean more and we listen better as we had time to ponder and pause in the silence.
Why not add a little silence to your relationship routine? Figure out the people you really know because you do not always have to talk. Sometimes the silence, the comfort, the joy is better felt with a smile and no words.
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