From Days of Healing, Days of Joy

"Silence is the element in which great things fashion themselves." ............................................................................. Thomas Carlyle

There is great power and wisdom in growing to the point where silence becomes our friend. It is in silence that we best listen and a great portion of life's best secrets can only be learned in silence.

Those running from themselves and the hurtful lessons of the past fear silence more than any other reality. They fear they may hear themselves in that silence. Such people are always lonely - whether alone or surrounded by multitudes.

In reality, if we stand still and be quiet, the word we hear softly spoken in the inner court of our own castle is full of beauty and loveliness. If we listen we will learn that we are not bad, that we are not disgusting, failure-ridden people, and we are not powerless. Quite the contrary, there is much that is right and noble about us.

Alone or lonely - it is a matter of courting silence or not.
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Every day I take more pleasure in my own company.

As the reading said, for years I was afraid of the silence. I feared what I would hear in my own mind -- the ugliness of the past playing over and over. It could happen at times when I was in a group of people, although not as often.

After I had a spiritual awakening, which of itself was a bit scary, I no longer feared being alone. My thoughts were no longer of the past, but more calm and quiet and more hopeful for a more serene life. I wasn't disappointed. While there have been ups and downs, I can better cope with them if I listen.