One of my favorite passages from the Wiccan Read is soft of eye,
Light of touch,
Speak ye little,
Listen much.
Those who have known nothing but the Information Age might find this concept to be archaic,
If not completely foreign,
Perhaps useless.
With email,
Texting,
And forums at our fingertips at any given moment,
The temptation to immediately speak our minds is always there,
And we are able to do so rapidly and anonymously in many cases.
We have reached the point where the only thing worse than losing an online argument is not engaging in the argument to begin with.
Getting the last word in has become almost vital to many.
The same applies to conversations that aren't arguments or debates.
The fear of silence has risen to a level of prominence that threatens to devalue our very speech.
But not everyone feels this way,
Which is why meditation is becoming more and more popular every year.
When we choose to have times of silence,
We allow ourselves to go inward.
By electing this,
We open ourselves up to being more compassionate,
Calm,
And understanding.
When we seek out inner peace,
We radiate peace to those around us.
When I first began to study chakras,
I was fascinated to learn that the throat chakra governs hearing as much as it does expressing ourselves.
When this chakra is balanced,
Our listening skills are sharp.
This is difficult to attain when speaking takes the majority of our focus.
On the other hand,
Keeping eternally silent isn't any more beneficial.
Speak ye little doesn't mean to refrain from speaking at all.
There must be a balance.
Choosing silence doesn't automatically mean that we are in agreement with whoever is speaking.
Silence doesn't mean that we are void of thoughts and opinions.
Nor does it signify the absence of a voice.
Silence does not equate to apathy.
Silence isn't surrendering control.
In fact,
Those who are in control of their speech are the ones who are in control of their speech.
Silence isn't surrendering control.
In fact,
Those who remain mostly silent will often find their words are heard more clearly than those of others when they do choose to speak.
This clarity comes,
In part,
From the wisdom gained by active listening.
Words that are carefully considered and chosen will often carry more meaning than automatic responses or,
Worse,
Empty words.
In my spiritual practice,
I interact with my spirit guides on a daily basis.
There are times when I do ask questions and seek guidance.
But,
More often than not,
My most meaningful interactions with them come from the times when I invite their presence and simply listen to what they wish to tell me.
The same holds true when I spend time in my garden and listen to my plants.
Receiving their messages through observation.
Every living thing,
From singing birds to shining stars,
Has something to say.
With our daily existence being so schedule-oriented and rushed,
Slowing down enough to listen can pose a great challenge.
But the importance of doing so is critical.
We've all encountered someone needing to bend our ear,
Get something off their chest,
Or simply ramble on.
Often,
That person isn't soliciting our advice and wouldn't want it if it were offered.
In cases like these,
We will sometimes choose to listen patiently,
Without giving any indication as to whether or not what is being said is of interest to us.
That person might never tell you how much being heard meant to them,
But the moments you spent were not wasted or unnoticed.
It is through this silence of compassionate listening that we speak volumes.
