Over the past eighteen months I have come to truly treasure silence; in particular, the moment when my mind is quiet [see photo]. Silence of the mind is the best gift you can give to yourself in the post-covid era. An individual can achieve this state through the use of a transcendental meditation technique wherein a mantra silences the "outside noise" which keeps flooding into his or her mind. Some find silence when they go for days on a solitude retreat with a "Master of the mind" who can tell by the heaviness of your footsteps that you have a troubled mind. And the evidence is clear in 2021 - there are millions of troubled minds around us in our lives. Indeed it is difficult not to become the owner of a troubled mind if you allow yourself to be impressed by the wild speculations of the mob on social media, podcasts, virtual hookups, etc. The low quality of thought present in these media is new because everyone imagines he or she has something of value to say. They are then encouraged further in this belief by the numbers of clickthroughs, likes, and subscribers they accumulate. These are evangelists for a multitude of beliefs sets that are with us today.
Silence is achieved, for me, when I am not tangled up in the narrative of the day. At such times I possess a state of mindfulness that is calming. I am able to fully appreciate the life I live. I am reflective sometimes but more often I am looking forward to the continuities that sustain and support me as an individual. I have never seen the need to be a member of a cult, tribe, union, etc so I have never been a good candidate for brainwashed by those who manipulate the minds around them for some personal gains. Silence is the absence of something in me that is normal in others. Silence is the prerequisite for a state of mind for all who strive to establish their minimal-you. Silence is the "time and space" that allows me to shed some collective wants as I simultaneously pare-down my personal needs.
Silence is the void that encourages me to write about intimacy between individuals. Silence is the moment just before, and just after, my greatest triumphs. Silence before a triumph is full of expectation. Silence after a triumph is full of relief. Silence is the time and space wherein I can reset my expectations. Silence is the time and space that allows my mind to flourish. Silence is the whisper of minimalism.
Richard.
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