Adriana Barbara is a Mind specialized Coach that is focused on helping CEO's and high-level entrepreneurs to develop their leadership teams by assisting each member to transform their mindset from the root.
Have you ever sent an important message and received nothing but silence in return? That lack of response can create an internal storm filled with doubts and insecurities.
In this article, we will explore how our mind processes these silences and how we can turn them into opportunities for growth.
First and foremost, let’s begin by understanding how our mind works.
Within our mind lies our mental conditioning, composed of paradigms or beliefs that we have acquired throughout our lives—these influence how we interpret our surroundings, including silence.
The environment and stimuli around us simply exist; the meaning they take on is given by how we interpret them. For example, two people living in the same country might interpret it differently: one thinking the country is unsafe and lacking, and the other thinking it is free, filled with joyful people and abundant resources. The first feels fear and rejection, while the second feels gratitude and satisfaction.
What determines how each person interprets living in that country? The answer is mental conditioning. The first person may have been raised in a family filled with uncertainty and distrust towards the country and its government, while the second grew up in a happy family, seeing the positive side and traveling to the beautiful places of that nation. Here we see how the same environment and its stimuli can be interpreted in totally different ways.
As the saying goes, we don’t see the world as it is; we see it as we are.
With this understanding, let’s return to the topic of silence. Silence, because of an emitted message, is an external stimulus that we receive. Even though there are no words exchanged, their absence is a type of response. This activates our paradigms, causing an interpretation that confirms them and leads us to think, feel, and act according to our mental conditioning.
Here is an example:
Case 1:
Laura argued with her partner. After a while, she sent a text message expressing her feelings about the situation and her concerns about the relationship. A few minutes later, she saw that her partner had read the message, stayed online for a moment, and then disconnected.
Laura has a paradigm in her mental conditioning that says: “People don’t value me; I’m not good enough.”
In her particular case, not receiving a response is a direct trigger to her paradigm, confirming her belief of not being valued. This makes her feel even more insecure and leads her to act: in this case, she may seek out her partner, filled with anxiety and fear, or even end the relationship, thinking her partner doesn’t care enough about her.
Case 2:
Maria experienced the same situation: an argument, sending a message, and not receiving a response.
Unlike Laura, Maria has a paradigm in her mental conditioning that says: “I am valuable and important; the people close to me love me just as I am.”
In this case, not receiving a response might irritate her for a moment, but she reflects, calms down, and seeks out her partner to talk in person, feeling secure and confident in herself.
This example shows how Laura, trapped in a negative paradigm, tends to react impulsively and anxiously. In contrast, Maria, with a positive paradigm, can remain calm and act confidently.
Recommendations to handle silences positively:
1. Don’t react impulsively:
We tend to react automatically according to our conditioning. We need time to process and respond in the best way. Give yourself that time.
2. Reflect:
What emotions are you feeling? What thoughts do you have? Identify them, try to see if a root paradigm is being triggered, and understand yourself.
3. Don’t assume:
We tend to assume and interpret, drawing our conclusions. Be aware that you don’t have clarity or evidence of the reason for the silence; keep an open mind to the possibility that there may be reasons different from what you think.
4. Reconceptualize:
If this situation has generated negative thoughts and feelings, view things from another perspective in a positive direction (e.g., think that maybe the person prefers to wait before responding, prefers to discuss it in person, or hasn’t had time to respond).
5. Clarify, if possible:
It’s best to clarify and not leave room for doubts or misunderstandings. Seek clarity and a response to your message. You’ll often be surprised at how quickly things can be resolved and the peace that comes from clarification.
Silence is a language in itself, filled with meanings that often depend on our interpretation. This space can open the door to misunderstandings and incorrect assumptions if we’re not aware of how we process it. Therefore, it’s vital to cultivate open, clear, and honest communication in our relationships, ensuring that we express and receive messages with transparency.
Even so, there will be moments when silence is beyond our control. In those cases, the key is to maintain calm and mental clarity, avoiding letting our emotions drag us to hasty conclusions.
Remember, silence is as powerful as words; the difference lies in how we choose to understand it. Will you opt for serenity, or will you allow uncertainty to consume you? The decision is in your hands.
In my Neuro-coaching process, I help my clients discover their mental and emotional conditioning, understand it, and reconceptualize it to transform it from the root, changing the way they interpret their environment and modulating and improving their reactions in a positive direction.
If you are interested in exploring how neuroscience can transform your personal or professional life, I invite you to learn more about my program. Together, we can discover how to harness the full power of your mind to achieve your goals.
Don’t miss my next article, where we will continue exploring the mind and how to use it effectively to achieve better results.
Adriana Bárbara Rodríguez, Mind Coach
Adriana Barbara is a Mind specialized Coach that is focused on helping CEO's and high-level entrepreneurs to develop their leadership teams by assisting each member to transform their mindset from the root, achieve their full potential and improve their highest productivity in order to accomplish the organization’s goals in an effective and sustainable way, with her innovative Neuroscience method in leadership.
