QUOTE OF THE WEEK
"When you become quiet, it just dawns on you."
--Thomas A. Edison, (1847-1931) American inventor
PERSONAL REFLECTIONS
Quietness is something that seems out of reach at times in our modern society. Noise surrounds us. From television, radio, CD's, and videos, to traffic, airplanes, and machinery, we seem never to have any quiet time. We even experience the drone of air conditioners, dish washers, and computers. Yet, all of this is really by choice. We willingly surround ourselves with noise. We turn on the TV when we enter our homes. We wear our walkman when we go out. We have radios in our cars, our work, even in our showers. TV's are placed on our kitchen counters so that we will not "miss anything." We must have "surround sound." We attend social engagements that have, yes, noise. Why do we make these noisy choices? What is it about silence that chases us away? Is it fear? Without noise, we only have our thoughts. But what is wrong with that? Answers to problems and the access to the deeper realms of our existence often come through the inner stillness and quietness of our thoughts. Philosophies, technical breakthroughs, and great art and music, have at their core the silence of the inner mind and soul. The starting point is the idea--the thought--and this comes from a place of quietness.
So as you grapple with problems, as you strive to create, and as you deal with stresses and anxieties, go into the silence and listen. And out of that silent place may come answers and ideas that would never have had a chance in the din of our society. Sometimes the silence can be deafening, screaming solutions and creative ideas. Sometimes it is as subtle as a light summer breeze. As Edison said: " . . .it just dawns on you."
And now . . . silence.
Blessings and Love,
Allen Schmeltz
Copyright © 1999 Allen F. Schmeltz. All rights reserved.
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