Who am I without my voice? What a provocative question! This question was posed to me at a retreat I attended in March, 2012, at the Franciscan Spirituality Center in La Crosse, Wisconsin. The retreat was The Value of Silence and the presenter was Anne D. LeClare, author of the book Listening Below the Noise. Here is what I wrote in my journal that weekend in answer to the question Who am I without my voice? I am tethered to the earth, grounded, centered. I am in the moment, right here, right now. I am open to possibilities and opportunities. I am open to the Universe. I am open to creativity. I am available to listen to my soul, my spirit, my heart. I am open to Joy. I am calm and peaceful. I am searching, looking for answers, living in the questions. I am comtemplative. I am listening to God, fully present in the silence. I am connecting with nature in the silence. I am available to myself in the silence.
LeClare writes in her book “How often do we race along at a speed too fast to attend to life around us? How frequently are we caught in the windstorm of noise and activity and thus unable to hear faint whispers that hold the power to stir our souls?” For seventeen years LeClaire has practiced total silence for two days each month. In her book she talks about how this monthly practice has helped her to nurture her creativity, expand her awareness and achieve a deep and lasting inner peace. I have found that silence slows me down and allows me to look inward instead of outward. Silence reconnects me to my dreams and visions. Silence renews my spirit and my soul. Silence is golden.
What about you? Who are you without your voice? What is available to you in silence? How would your life change if you spent time in silence? How can you create more intentional silence in your life? What are the gifts of silence?
I invite you to immerse yourself in silence. See what shows up for you.
LeClare’s monthly practice is very impressive – I can only imagine how rich and full it is. Silence is hugely important to me, and I’ve constructed my life to make sure I have great chunks of it. I so need that time of reflection, of being able to fully tune into the rhythms and whispers of my heart.
Thanks for your comments Deborah! Silence is big for me too, I crave it after I’ve been around a lot of people or doing a lot of extroverting. I like what you said about being able to tune into the rhythms and whispers of your heart, beautiful!