The Sanctity of Silence!

By Kathy Joy Hoffner

Some of the most persuasive people I know are the quiet ones. 

Quiet people are a stabilizing influence in a world jangling with noise.

A Spanish proverb says it like this: 

"Abre la boca solo si lo que vas a decir es más hermoso que el silencio!"

(“Open your mouth only if what you are going to say is more beautiful than the silence.”)

Silence helps us understand ourselves. We can be fully present and connect with others. 

When we are stuck or confused, silence brings us little epiphanies.

Silence can be a life-long friend. But we need to pay attention to it. 

For some of us, solitude is water to a parched soul; we must have it. 

For others, solitude is too deep, too sad, too isolating. 

But it can be a shared place for hunkering down and listening.

“Perhaps the most important thing we bring to another person is the silence in us, not the sort of silence that is filled with unspoken criticism or hard withdrawal. The sort of silence that is a place of refuge, of rest, of acceptance of someone as they are. We are all hungry for this other silence.”

--RACHEL NAOMI REMEN, AUTHOR

Silence is a patient friend. Waiting always, watching over your comings and your goings, hoping you will join the hush and wonder.

Here’s what happens during just one minute while you remain quiet:

>> 255 babies will be born 

>> Your Heart will pump 83 Gallons Of Blood

>> A hummingbird will flap its wings 4,000 times

>> 31,600 tons of water will flow over Niagara Falls

>> 1,800 stars will explode

>> 4,500 McDonald’s burgers will be eaten

>> UPS will deliver 11,319 packages 

>> 243,000 photos will be uploaded to Facebook

>> Americans will Eat 21,000 Slices of Pizza

>> 4,310 people will visit Amazon

>> Twitter users will send 347,222 tweets

>> Uber passengers will take 694 rides

**Research from Pawan Patar at www.https://artplusmarketing.com/

If this much happens inside the space of 60-seconds, then maybe you can take a little break.

It’s pretty obvious the world will keep churning if you step away from it.

Take a pause for you.

Notice your own breathing.

Consider the hummingbird, who flaps and grabs the nectar.

We, too, can join that dance.

We, too, can taste the wonder and the sweetness and come back for more.

We, too, can rest a minute and enjoy the quiet.

Kathy Joy Hoffner is the author of a four-book series called Breath of Joy.  She holds a bachelor's degree in journalism and communication from Messiah College, in Grantham, PA. and has just published a new children's book, called "Will You Hold My Story?"

To purchase the book, go to Amazon.com. Do it today!