Firstly — you now have that excellent song in your head. Congratulations.
But, more important…
When was the last time you just enjoyed silence?
Literally pause here. Think:
When did you actually just drive your car in total peace?
Lay in bed in the jet ink of night, no fan, no wind, no TV (or snoring)?
How about just sitting on the couch?
We are so accustomed to music, fans, and sound flooding our auditory consciousness that when we “hear” silence, it is almost alarming.
One of my favorite moments to experience some days is this:
I’ll get up at 3am.
Make a cup of coffee. The house is dark, except the dining room light.
In winter, I like to start the car for 5 minutes before I visit the gym, so I’ll step out to do so.
In the early, dark winter morning, the whole world just glows in a way it only can with a foot of snow.
The horizon is a rich, light citrine hue, the mild lights of town laying a backdrop behind the curtains of trees.
But the sky some nights is perfectly clear.
You can see your breath, taste the crisp, cold air.
If it’s moonless, I can see every star and constellation perfectly — and some planets, flickering in the cold vacuums.
But it’s perfectly silent.
It’s peaceful like death.
It’s these moments I will raise up a thanksgiving to God for the splendor of creation — but I’m certain a non-believer could also find meditation or peace and raise their own gratitude, too! After all — Spiritual Wellness is one of our Four Tenets.
But these silent moments are idyllic for reflection on life.
Remembering the stars set in their constellations have budged indistinguishably over the course of my life — and they’ll keep imperceptibly crawling out of place over the coming millennia, long after I’m gone.
To keep it short:
I just invite you to seek for more moments of silence. Music and the TV needn’t always be blaring.
Enjoy these parts of perfect solitude. They aren’t always guaranteed.
Follow for daily philosophical meditations.
These are distillations from my coming book “YouDaimonia: the Ancient Philosophy of Human Flourishing.”
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