Silence – the beauty or the beast?
Beautiful silence – an experience of peace, stillness, rest. The space in which to permit oneself the luxury to just be, to breathe. This silence does not demand of you, it simply allows. It creates room to stretch and luxuriate in the absence of the pressure to be or do. Allows the freedom to roam at leisure; free to pick up and examine a particular dream that has perhaps laid dormant for a while. Time to think, to imagine, to create, to pray, to meditate, to sleep.
This is the silence that replenishes, enriches, strengthens, empowers. It is mindful and compassionate. Time spent within its embrace enables you to connect with yourself and what is important to you. Seek out this silence; learn from it, revel in its light, breathe it deep into your bones, grow and heal in its nurturing presence. It can be trusted.
There is, however, another more menacing form of silence. One that draws its power from the darkness of shame and fear. Its roots lay tangled across your path; threatening to trip you, latch on and drag you down into its compost of lies. It whispers accusations of ‘not good enough’, ‘unworthy’, ‘less than’ and convinces you that it is better to be quiet. Obey the rules, stay small. Hide yourself away. Cover your colours, your brilliance, your true essence. Don’t be too much. Don’t dream, don’t think, don’t speak and definitely don’t question.
This is the silence that enslaves, starves, weakens, crushes and ultimately destroys. Don’t linger there. Gather yourself up and run as fast as you can back to the light and the air.
Never forget the basic rule of survival; if you cannot breathe, you will die.
Choose your silence wisely.
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