Hello,
My name's Ian Tucker.
Welcome to 10 Steps for a Better Life.
Step 8.
Enjoy the silence.
For most of my life,
Any problems,
Conflicts or issues that I've experienced have come with noise.
For most of my life,
I thought that to deal with those problems,
Conflicts or issues,
I had to be even louder than the noise that was coming at me.
And then I could make it go away.
My noise would beat that noise,
Thus creating even more noise and energy around something that I simply didn't want in my life.
Let's face it,
We live in a world that's full of noise.
You and I wake up each morning in silence.
We immediately reach for the phone or the radio to create noise.
We get in our car for the commute or onto the tube and put earphones in and reach for the radio or the MP3 to create noise.
Even spaces like elevators or lifts play music.
Retail spaces play noise.
We live in a world that's full of noise.
A few years ago,
I decided to try a slightly different path.
I didn't sign up to becoming a hermit or sitting on a mountain,
But just to incorporate a few minutes each day where I would consciously become silent.
I encourage you to do the same.
Here's how it's going to play out.
You'll become silent.
You've switched off your phone.
You've found a private space and you sit or lie.
At that point,
Your head is still full of noise from how your day has gone or what's on your mind.
And it will look to manipulate and jump in to that space that you created in silence.
To fill that space with thoughts.
It's an ideal opportunity for all of these thoughts in your mind to jump into that silent space.
And you'll be ready to give in.
This is crazy.
I can't become silent.
Perfect.
At that point,
I ask you to stay with it.
Give it just a few more minutes.
Let the noise subside.
You see,
Every answer you will ever need,
You will find in silence.
Contemplation.
Reflection.
In a world that's full of noise,
Build silence into each day.
