The more I read well-being, self-care books, the more the expression "learn to silence the noise" shows up. The first time I read it I thought to myself, ah? But then, through committing to defining and noticing "noise" on my own terms, I started experiencing an almost addictive calming feeling. These past weeks, I have been handled a fair amount of challenges and "noise", both on the personal and professional front, and that's what prompted me to reflect upon it in this week's blog.
I think that the start of any new year is easily filled with noise on all fronts, I attribute part of it, to that extra energy with which we all start a new year and our commitment to accomplish new year's resolutions right off the bat. So for instance, if one of your colleagues is determined to complete a project for which he/she has dragged its feet for months, but he/she can't complete it without your involvement in it, all of a sudden, there will be "noise" placed upon you. I define noise, as all the things, tasks, information, opinions that bring interference in the alignment of my inner goals with my outer ones. Not having this important alignment, or aligning only with one's "jobs goals" is a big problem that most people struggle with. On the other hand, when my mom slipped and fell three weeks ago, breaking her leg and hand while vacationing in Miami, brought a tsunami of uncertainty and yes, a whole lot of "noise" into my life, but that sound I can't ignore, because to me, family is priority #1. What noise we tune into is a big part of what defines the kind of life we live.
Finding alignment is an incredible amount of ongoing work. We have to be eager and willing to do the "inside work" and reflect upon our personal life and work objectives. Knowing how to identify anything that's not in alignment, hence the 'noise', the moment you hear it is the only way to silence it. That doesn't mean that if a colleague needs your input on something you have to deny it from him/her, but you would establish the expectation that you need a reasonable amount of time to deliver on it. Procrastinators live in noise because that's what is created when you delay something as much as you can, to then place it in other's people's trays and expect it to be treated with urgency.
Only in silence, you can connect to your soul's voice. The noise is there to prevent you from connecting to that source because when you do, you will want to favor silence over noise, every, single, time.
As you start a new week, I invite you to close your eyes for five minutes right after you read these lines, and silence all noise around you. Let your breathing be your guide and connect to what feels important and relevant to you at this very moment. Everything else is just noise, and never forget that YOU control the volume!
"When I am silent, I have thunder hidden inside". Rumi