With a Sunday all to myself I chose silence. What does that mean? No TV, no radio – just me. I often have said aloud that I am not really a TV watcher, yet if I really stop and think about it, the TV seems to be on all the time, especially if I am not at my computer.
By force of habit, and sometimes craving noise to fill up quiet space, I turn it on. While I’m cooking, while I’m eating, while I’m painting… Yesterday I chose not to.
Instead, while I cooked I focused more on what I was preparing. While I ate I listened to the birds chirping outside and gazed at the landscape outside my window. While I painted, I was intent on what I was creating – even experimenting with some new techniques.
It was such a nice day, such a nice feeling to choose silence. To be comfortable with a solitary focus instead of my usual divided attention. To me more fully present with where I was and what I was doing.
How often do you choose silence?
I do not choose silence enough. I love silence, but, I also love non silence. I love feeling energized and being around people, I love engaging in meaningful conversations.
I am becoming more mindful of turning off the tv (thank goodness for DVR) and the computer at night and just enjoying my own silence and thoughts.
Thanks Paige, you described perfectly how important it is to know what kind of mental stimulation we need (and when!)