The plan to “choose silence” and not waste energy on energy-absorbing things that don’t support a healthy mental and emotional environment continues apace. This means, by extension, that my commenting in general is going to decrease. If you’re one of my regular reads, it isn’t that I’m not reading your thoughts; I’m just not saying anything unless I can say something meaningful and say it right. One of my goals is to cut down on idle conversation, because I’ve observed lately by listening to others that it (a) consumes energy that can be better directed elsewhere, and (b) very often creates negative energy that gets spread around. And combating negative energy means using up yet more energy, perpetuating a vicious cycle. I want to spend more time thinking about the words I use, and that doesn’t make for very efficient light conversation. I’m also trying to cut down on the amount of negative energy I encounter, to further reduce the amount of stress in my life.
I still intend to use this journal to work things out, and to keep people up to date on what’s going on. Posting frequency has already decreased to a certain extent, as you may have noticed; it may decrease further, or it may not, as the plan requires.
I hear you. I, too, am making some tough choices about how to direct my energy.
Thinking about the words I use has been something that I’ve been working on for the past little while, both spiritually and professionally. Little things that affect how I ‘frame’ the world. For example, “what am I having for dinner tonight,” versus “what am I enjoying for dinner tonight. It’s amazing what effect reframing has.
A couple years ago I spent the entire year working with “silence” and “to be silent”. It was very enlightening.
For me it’s not about light/idle conversation—it’s fine and it has its place, especially if it’s polite and pleasant. In fact, I think I need light conversation in my life to remind me that things needn’t always be so serious and heavy. Too much of *that* can be draining, as well. I guess it’s a matter of balance, as with all things.
For me, it’s all the negative, nagging, meanhearted, unnecessary, ridiculous “conversations” that so often go on inside my head that I need to learn to shut off.
The silence I need most is an interior silence.