Are You Comfortable with Silence?

Think about it. A few years ago I did, and I was surprised at how uncomfortable I was with silence.

For instance, the first thing I did after waking up was to turn on the television. At the office, I sat at my desk and immediately fired up my music. I brought headphones on a plane to watch a movie.

The first thing I did when I checked into a hotel room was to turn on the TV. After starting my car, without thinking I turned on the radio.

How about you? Has “noise” become a habit? When was the last time you actually heard yourself think? When was the last time you listened for the voice of God, rather than the voice of iTunes?

In my experience, creativity doesn’t compete well with noise. Original thinking gets drowned out by TV networks and cable news.

Try this: Start listening to nothing. See just how long you can stand the silence. You may go through a nervous transition, but after awhile, I have a feeling you’ll be shocked at how you’ll start to hear your own voice. And you’ll be shocked at how creative and productive that voice will be.

What do you think?  Are you comfortable with silence?

Discover more of Phil Cooke’s wisdom in Does Your Work Stand the Test of Time?

For more than 30 years, Phil Cooke has helped nonprofits find their purpose and is now applying this experience to individuals: “During a long career in the media business I’ve talked to hundreds of writers, producers, directors, designers, executives, and other professionals and discovered that in most cases, one thing is all it takes to launch a project or dream.”

Learn more about the writer Phil Cooke