Loud on the Inside

‘Quiet people have loud minds’

Silence is a mainstay in my world- and one that those close to me have been forced to understand. In many ways the world we live in is a loud and rather raucous place. A loud world is fine if that is where one is comfortable,  but those who have a quiet nature sometimes have to fight to hold their ground. Silence is always my companion when I am alone; whether it is at my home, in my car , or at my office,  there is no TV or radio noise to be found.  For me, silence is soothing and evocative – it really does allow me to hear more.

As an author, silence has been my muse. I have written four books; two of them were competed in a matter of hours,  the other two in  a matter of days. Those were very quiet times for me- because it was so loud on the inside I quite literally could not hear ‘this world’ as I took notes from the silence.  The daily inspirations that arrive at Rx for the Soul are always birthed from silence. I can honestly say that silence is the richest source of words in my world- and my relationship to silence is one of the most profound I have in this life.

Sometimes though, I find that the outer world is not so comfortable with a quiet nature- especially in a busy social setting. “Is something wrong?”   “Are you bored?”  “Do you need a drink?” I have become accustomed to people lobbing bait in my direction in an attempt to pull me out into the social waters. What most quiet people wish others knew is that they are not wanting someone to pull them out into the world-  quiet people are perfectly happy in their little boats watching everyone else splash around.  Being quiet is a choice, not an affliction-  when I have something to say or feel impassioned about a topic, I am never at a loss for words.  Most quiet people can jump in the water and splash around just fine- they just do so on their own terms. ( Read: don’t push us in, we will swim if and when we want to!) I know I am not alone in my feelings because I have heard many an introvert echo these same thoughts.

There is a place for silence and quietude in this world- and when we learn how to be comfortable in silence, it is truly amazing the deep conversations that we begin to hear. If silence is something you avoid, take some time to get to know it better- you may find it to be one of the worthiest companions you will ever meet.  And conversely, if someone else’s silence makes you uncomfortable, before you deem it to be a negative thing, take a moment to listen to them in a different way. What is their posture, eye contact,  and facial expression saying?

Some people are only loud on the inside, and that is really quite ok!