Written by: Brigitte Münch, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
Silence and stillness are magical and paradox. You can find yourself in a very quiet environment and start feeling uncomfortable. You hear your breath, your blood circulation, your heartbeat – and thoughts of all kinds rush through your brain. You become nervous and restless. The next day, you may sit in a crowded rush hour train with lots of noise around you and feel very calm and peaceful. Your mind is centred and focused, and you are able to lock out your surroundings.
We are conditioned to rush and be multitasking. To hurry and be busy. Be entertained. Do more. Do it faster. Be available. No break. Noise everywhere, around us and inside of us. And at one point in time, we realize that we cannot go on like this. That we do not want to. We feel empty and tired. Unhappy. Lose our energy and then our smile. Become sick. Burn out. Feel that we are miles away and disconnected from ourselves. Our soul. Our balance. Our values. Running after something we do not even know what it is.
Time for silence to find stillness.
Our mind, brain and body need to rest. They need quiet to repair and recharge. To find and keep balance. To stay healthy. To be creative. To be at ease. To build up physical and mental muscles. To strengthen resilience and navigate through tough times. To rediscover joy and laughter. In a silent environment, inner peace and stillness have a chance to find their way. Not a highway, but a hidden path, overgrown with an underbrush of beliefs, experiences, emotions, injuries or even traumata, paradigms, self-protecting strategies and the perception we have developed about ourselves and the world, year after year after year. It is a path which may not feel good in the beginning, it may cause uncertainty or even anxiety about the things we may hear in that silence – yet, it is a path worth finding and going.
We have learned so hard to ignore our needs and desires, to thrust them aside and to tell them to shut up. However, they are very tenacious, and deep inside of us, they are still scratching at the door of our awareness. In silence, we are able to open that door a crack wide. And once we open up, we detect that the state of stillness is not static. Instead, we can find new ways, unknown options and undetected possibilities.
If we stop talking to our mind, it will start talking to us. It is worth listening.
In stillness, communication begins. It may take some time until our inner voice dares to speak up again. And then it reminds us of the things, which are important to us, of our values, desires, purpose and needs. It unfolds the mechanisms to change our perspective and see our situation in a different light. It gives us back our ability to read our inner compass and start walking into the direction we need. To integrate the parts within us, which we have ignored so masterfully, and accept them as part of our being.
If we find stillness and inner peace, we automatically send positive vibes into our world. In that sense, our peaceful state of mind is contagious as it changes our charisma. We become not only more compassionate with ourselves, but also more alert and attentive in our relationships to others and to nature. With our sharpened senses, we are able to be much more present and alive and to see things we have not noticed before.
Find a quiet space where you can be on your own from time to time. Just you, with everything you are. If you have not been in silence for a long time, this may be scary at first – try to accept it as a totally normal reaction. By feeling uncomfortable and restless, your body and mind reveal what they have missed and show you that you are on the right track. You may just start by sitting still and listening for a minute. Or a half. You do not have to be an immediate Zen-master. Free yourself from expectations. Sit down, close your eyes and just listen. Don´t do anything else. Listen to whatever you may hear in this silence – and listen with all your senses. Dependent on where you are, you may hear and feel the wind, sense hot air on your skin or the snowflakes falling from the sky.
Maybe you see the bright sunlight or the dark through your closed eyes. Maybe you smell the scent of the forest or the bloom of flowers, the salty air or your own perfume. Maybe you hear your heart beat and your breath going in and out. Just try and keep quiet and alert as long as you can. And if you cannot stand it or your mind is wandering around, observe it and accept it without judgement. Open your eyes, notice your surroundings, take a deep breath and try again.
I bet you will notice a change after a very short while. And you will become addicted to these little islands of stillness, peace and inner calm – they will be your reliable guide and connect you with yourself and others in a new way.
Give yourself permission and room to be quiet and become still. You will find that everything you desire is within you. And even more than that. Magic.
Brigitte Münch, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Brigitte Münch is an expert in ethical digital transformation and coaches leaders, teams and companies through their requirements and challenges in our digital times. After more than 20 years in the IT industry, where she worked as legal consultant, negotiator, motivator, advisor, project lead, hamster wheel runner, trainer and mentor in various countries, she decided to combine her digital expertise with her passion for people. She now helps leaders and companies in our digitalized, technologized world to (re)discover their goals and values, talents and potentials and define their mission and vision to create a more inspiring working culture and change results to the better. "Start leading yourself and discover the immense power and potential inside of you, your employees and your company."
