Silence Before Solitude
Standing on the mountain, looking out at the valley below, I could see where I had come from hours before.
The climb had been difficult and long. None of that mattered now as my toes hung just over the edge of Flint Mill Rock.
This was not a dream hike.
It was a needed hike.
The pain in my legs and lungs made the silence I found even more prominent. The week leading up to this hike had been hard, stressful, burdensome. I came to the mountain to find the solitude I needed.
Silence, when we allow it, can become a useful absence of noise.
I didn’t find a complete lack of noise. There were still birds, wind, and trees creaking in the distance. But I found enough silence to begin listening.
Stepping away from the edge of the rock, solitude began.
I stepped into solitude like stepping into the home of an old friend. I didn’t need to be invited. I didn’t need to be told where it was. I simply waited for the silence to serve its purpose and then stepped into solitude with intention.
Listen in the Silence
Silence doesn’t try to fill the void.
It doesn’t present answers.
It doesn’t force solitude or isolation.
Silence simply asks us to listen.
To stop what we are doing in the moment.
Silence is the knock before the door is opened.
Not every silence will lead to the practice of solitude. But silence can create the space we need for it.
Solitude does not require silence in our surroundings.
It requires intention.
It requires a quieting of the soul and mind.
Silence is the Knock, Solitude is the Door
Solitude is the door that silence knocks on. You cannot accidentally open that door and walk through it. Intention and attention are required.
When to practice solitude and how to practice solitude are different questions from understanding what solitude is.
Solitude is not being more spiritual.
It is not withdrawing and never returning.
Solitude is withdrawing with purpose and returning renewed.
It is stepping away for a period of time so that we can pay attention, listen, and return with what we have learned.
Silence allows us to see and hear the things the noise of everyday life keeps us from noticing.
Silence doesn’t require a mountain top.
It doesn’t require hours.
It doesn’t even require complete quiet.
It requires us to allow our minds to settle.
Turn off the external noise.
Put away the phone and tablet.
Turn off the television, the games, and the computer.
Let work problems stay at work.
Let school problems stay there.
Our problems will wait for us.
Let the silence lead.
Silence is a great teacher of patience.
Let your mind wander.
Wait for the silence to take hold.
And then, when you are ready: