Recognizing the power of silence gives us an amazing tool: access to ourselves and our creative openness, no matter the noise around us.
Let silence take you to the core of life.
—Rumi
The Overwhelm of Noise
I received three SOS texts from clients yesterday between Noon and 2 pm: Distress signals sent from the bows of their Thanksgiving ships.
Each was desperate for something comforting and calming.
“I’m so sorry to bother you, but I truly think I am losing my mind.”
“I feel as if I am under siege from people who expect me to wait on them hand and foot.”
“The cacophony started at 6:15 am yesterday and has not stopped.”
My advice to each was to find or create an island of quiet for at least 30 minutes, preferably an hour.
Each resisted, even though they were not sitting down to eat for several hours. Dishes were prepped. The table was set. The only thing two of them had to delegate was basting the turkey a couple of times (the other was serving a vegetarian meal).
Each had multiple family members present who could take over hosting duties for a short period of time. Grown people who are more than capable of tending to guests and keeping hors d’œuvre trays filled, drinks freshened.
So why not claim some quiet, embrace the power of silence?
One woman responded, “I think being alone with my thoughts right now would actually be worse.”
That’s it, isn’t it?
At its core, quiet confronts us with the Unknown.
The Power of Silence
In silence, there’s nothing to distract us from our innermost thoughts, feelings, and fears. It’s in those quiet moments that we hear the whispers of our dreams and the echoes of our doubts.
The clamor of everyday life can feel like a shield, protecting us from self-reflection and the vulnerability it brings. Without noise, we’re left face-to-face with who we really are and where we truly want to go.
In most of our lives, silence has become an endangered species. We fill every spare moment with sound—podcasts during walks, music in the car, endless scrolling through social media.
Noise has become our constant companion, a familiar background that seems to keep us connected and in control. But beneath the surface, something else is happening: a growing discomfort with stillness.
But what if this resistance to quiet is keeping us from something extraordinary? What if the clarity and peace we so desperately seek lie within the silence we avoid?
Quiet isn’t empty. In the stillness, we connect with our intuition, creativity, and the deeper currents of our lives. History’s greatest thinkers and artists—from Einstein to Thoreau—spoke of the transformative power of silence. It was in those moments of deep quiet that breakthroughs were born.
When we resist quiet, we resist ourselves.
We deny our mind the rest it needs to process, our heart the space it craves to feel, and our soul the openness it requires to grow. Quiet invites us to come home to ourselves.
How to Embrace the Power of Silence
So how do we embrace the quiet rather than avoid it?
1. Start Small.
You don’t have to jump into an hour of silence right away. Begin with five minutes of stillness. Close your eyes, breathe deeply, and simply listen. Let thoughts come and go without judgment. This small step can build the foundation for a deeper practice.
2. Reframe Silence.
Instead of seeing quiet as an absence, view it as an opportunity. In silence, you’re not “doing nothing”—you’re recharging, listening, and allowing space for insight. Silence becomes a gift, not a void.
3. Create a Sacred Space.
Designate a place in your home or a spot in nature where you can regularly seek stillness. This space becomes a sanctuary, a physical reminder of the value of quiet.
4. Embrace Discomfort.
At first, silence may feel uncomfortable. Stay with it. Over time, the discomfort will give way to a sense of peace and presence.
5. Reflect and Journal.
After a period of quiet, write down your thoughts and feelings. Often, the most profound insights surface when we allow ourselves to pause.
In the quiet, we find a treasure hidden beneath the noise: ourselves. Our truest desires, most creative ideas, and deepest peace lie waiting in stillness.
We become more present, more aware, and more alive. The power of silence calls us back to our brilliance, and in the stillness, we find the courage to live an authentic life beyond noise, rich with meaning, joyful calm, and limitless possibility.
