What about silence?

I designed this forum because I wanted a place for women (and really anyone) to find their voice. As I commune with my girlfriends, I find that most women do not know how to comfortably ask for what they want. I certainly did not know how to do that. So I finagled, and I emoted, and I sometimes begged, for what I wanted. All these actions came from weakness and fear. What I learned was that forthrightness, when partnered with our voice, has power and meaning and clarity. It is a far more thoughtful process. But as I learn to have a strong, rooted, positive voice, I am also learning the absolute necessity for silence.

I have, adorning my computer on a small sticky, a reminder that says "A silent voice is sweet to hear." Sometimes saying nothing at all says more than any words can say. Another way to say it is "Let the mud settle before taking any action." The concepts are each and both quite the same, and yet subtly different arrows that point to the value of silence.

Have you ever really listened when there is a blackout or brownout? The whole world lays silent at our feet, asking us to listen. We are so inundated with noise and hums. It takes supreme effort to sit with silence...to not turn on that radio or tv early in the morning. It takes courage to sit with jumbled thoughts and anxiety when things are not what we would wish for them to be. The conundrum of it all is that the only way to find our voice is to listen to the silence. To find a way through the tangled cords of our psyche and let the Universe or God hold us gently in Her arms until we find the peace we need to know. The "know" I speak of is the intuitive power of knowing that shows us which way to go, what to do, which road to take, what words to say. To learn more about how to do this, take a walk with Ekhart Tolle (www.echarttolle.com). In the meantime, I invite you into the silence, to this very sacred and privileged space.