Total and complete silence.
It’s an atmosphere where the most complex of thoughts are born and the most intricate, delicate form of self-awareness is grasped. It is through silence that the most words are heard, but we often do not know what it truly sounds like because of the rapidity with which we live our lives and the interaction with incessant, irritating noises therein. A stillness that breeds individual imagination and success is rarely discovered, for this world has cultivated a deep-seated urgency in us to constantly be occupied. The only time silence can be heard and felt in its unmitigated form seems to be during the darkest hours of the night, when the world stands still for a while; where urgency is nonexistent, rapidity is absent from the mind, and sheer focus is able to take center stage in the forefront of your priorities, allowing for the “me time” that we crave.
Being completely still is a very hard concept to practice in day to day life. As unusual as it may sound, the anxiety that comes with doing nothing can almost be more unbearable than the angst that comes with being extremely busy. Why does it have to be this way? Why have we grown to think that constantly staying occupied is better than “doing nothing”? Of course in this circumstance, the definition of “nothing” remains completely subjective to those who apply it to their life, but I’d like to challenge that there is another, more unknown meaning to the term.
Remaining in a state of stillness is extremely hard to do. I find that after a while, my mind travels down a twisted rabbit hole filled with the priorities and tasks that are yet to be completed, and I become extremely self-critical and anxious. However, being still in life does not mean that you have to be unproductive. Rather, the time spent reflecting upon your heart in total silence is actually “doing something”. It is through this time of silence and self-reflection that your heart is able to share each innermost feeling in a way that would not have been noticed had you not devoted time to hearing what it had to say. It might sound exceptionally cliché, but listen to your heart. That counts as “doing something”, right? :)
I challenge you to spend a little more time on yourself. The extra moments of the day that are spent on “me time” are worth every second, for they are the moments in life that you become secure in knowing who you are as a beautiful human being. You aren’t vain, conceited, or self-centered for doing so. Try to find this stillness, listen to what your heart has to say, and find the solace in the silence. I dare you.