When was the last time you spend an hour in silence? It doesn’t happen often, does it? Most people struggle to find just a few minutes of silence, let alone an entire hour.
Consider a typical day you might experience: You wake up in the morning to the sound of your alarm clock, get up, and immediately turn on the radio or television to catch the news or just to entertain yourself as you prepare for the day. Perhaps your morning ritual even includes going for a jog—wearing your iPod, of course.
On your way to work you drive in your car with the radio blaring and are surrounded by the encroaching sounds of a busy street. Then, when you arrive at your workplace, you enter to the sound of other employees and customers carrying on conversations to the rhythm of cash registers and/or office equipment.
When you finally get back home, you throw supper together in a hurry and then wind up chasing your kids around for the next few hours. When at last the children are tucked away for the night, you collapse in front of the TV to relax before going to bed yourself.
Unfortunately, this typical day is far too common. Very few people take the time to enjoy any silence at all, let alone an extended period of silence. As a result, they miss out on the calming effect that silence can have on a person mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually.
For most people, silence does not just happen. It is something that must be planned and scheduled into the day. For you, perhaps this means getting up a bit earlier to enjoy some silence while reading, praying, or sipping some coffee. Perhaps it means spending your lunch break sitting in your parked car or strolling through the park. Or maybe it means just leaving the radio off during a leisurely drive home.
Whatever it takes for you to enjoy a taste of silence, try it and reap the benefits. Once you do, you’ll wonder why you ever allowed your life to become so noisy in the first place.