I’m taking a day of silence.

Because I have been feeling a bit overwhelmed lately, at the time of this writing, I am finishing up a day of silence. Besides accidentally telling Siri to be quiet when she was going off on my alarm today, I haven’t spoken a single word.

The idea was to get a reset, but I learned a lot more lessons than that. Here they are:

Lesson 1 - I'm unintentional with my words.

Because there is friction involved in getting thoughts out, i.e. I need to type out anything that I am going to say on my phone or iPad and show it to the other person, I only say what is necessary. Going through this exercise has made me realize how unintentional I am with my words, constantly chattering and making noise even when it does not add any value. This intentionality in my communication makes my words actually mean more and is something I will carry with me moving forward.

Lesson 2 - I'm missing so much.

There are so many sounds that are happening all around me that I simply was not noticing. Because I am typically so focused on the next thing that I will say, I miss so much. By shutting my mouth and opening my ears, I am much more present in each moment that I am living.

Lesson 3 - Words aren't always needed.

Much can be communicated with a smile. Even though I am not speaking, I am not a hermit hiding away at home - I am working now at my favorite coffee shop and will be heading to the gym later. Since I don’t have spoken word to communicate, I am focused on utilizing my facial expressions and manipulating the energy that I send out to still spread love and joy with all those I see.

Lesson 4 - Presence can be enough.

I can enjoy time with my family simply by listening and giving them my presence. Often, when I think of spending time with loved ones, it involves me taking an active part in conversation. But what if my active presence is enough? Today, I have spent so much more time simply listening to what my family have to say. I am really hearing every word that they say to me because there’s no point in listening to respond when you know that you cannot speak. I’d never thought about this before, but this is now the best way that I know to force myself to listen to understand.

Lesson 5 - So much for granted.

I take a lot of things for granted - I didn’t know that my ability to speak is one of them. You can really end up knowing the value of a thing when it is taken away from you for a time. You best believe that moving forward, the ability to so easily communicate with others is something I will cherish much more.