The power of silence

I decided to break the silence on my blog because I felt the need to find a method to tell my experience and share my growth journey with others. A life coach's responsibility includes not just assisting others in growing, but also assisting myself in growing in the areas of mental, emotional, and spiritual development. That is how I can develop my coaching abilities: by practicing what I preach. Since 2012, I have been absent from my blog, but I have continued to blog on the World Moms Network blog, where I have shared my life experiences and my beliefs. From 2018 to the present, I have kept a personal journal of my thoughts, feelings, and experiences, but I now want to share them with others. The most powerful experience I have had during these four years was practicing Silence, which was the most powerful experience I have had during these four years.

What is silence?

Silence is more than simply closing our mouths. Our true selves can only be discovered by relaxing our minds, letting go of our inner self-talk, and connecting with our hearts. One of the most significant benefits of silence is the development of self-awareness, which leads to self-discovery and self-connection.

Silence is the vehicle that takes us to the innermost center of our being, which is the place for all authentic practice.

              Catholic Nun and Zen Master Elaine MacInnes

The quieter you become, the more you are able to hear

             Rumi

  

How to practice silence?

The first step in practicing silence is to recognize when it is appropriate to talk and when it is necessary to keep silent. Finally, learning to talk only when required. As you progress down the road, you will learn to mute your bad speech and refrain from using words and expressions that are abusive, or hurtful; then learn to practice complete silence for a specified time. You can do it for a few minutes, hours or, a few days, depending on your schedule and availability.

Establishing a ritual of silence

• Every day, set up 30 minutes for stillness. If 30 minutes is too lengthy for you, start with 10 minutes and increase the time incrementally until you reach 30.
• Turn off all sources of disruption.
• Take a comfortable seat.
• Keep your eyes closed.
• Deeply inhale and exhale for a total of four counts on each side. Concentrate all of your attention on your breath.
• Allow yourself to let go of any thoughts or inner dialogue and simply focus on your breath.

Benefits of silence? 

By practicing silence on a regular basis, you can develop a variety of skills, of which I will list five here:

• Exceptional listening skills.
• Concentration and a sharp focus.
• Establishing a connection with your heart and soul.
• Managing stress.
• Finding your true self begins with awareness of your thoughts and beliefs, which can be achieved through practicing silence and meditation.

My story with silence retreats

In April 2019, I participated in my first Silence retreat. My first time experiencing meditation, I learned that being a thinker was my greatest obstacle to successfully practicing the art of mindfulness. My understanding of the distinction between quietness and silence has grown over time. However, I have since discovered that I am a quiet person, not a silent person as previously imagined. For the first time in my life, I learned and applied meditation. I learned to surrender via silence and meditation. As in meditation, I refrain from reacting to anything that happens around me during silence retreats, instead accepting, letting go, and remaining silent.

Conclusion

Constructing a daily silent practice is a transformative experience that is well worth your time and effort. The ability to live thoughtfully is no longer an option; it is a must and a genuine requirement if one wants to discover inner peace, relaxation, stress management, and connection to one's true self.

If you enjoyed this post, please share your opinions or your own personal experience with silence, as well as how it made a difference in your life, with me.

Our Beliefs shape our life

Photo by Binti Malu from Pexels

Throughout our life, we are forming our worldview. Every experience we have and the result of the experience gives us a new belief about ourselves and our skills. This belief gives us some feelings, and our behavior is based on those feelings.

Childhood beliefs have a lasting impact on our life long after we've grown up. As an adult, how does it feel to be reminded of or go through an event comparable to one you had as a child where you were appreciated, valued, and encouraged? Consider another instance in which you were held responsible and reprimanded; how did you react? Is it okay if we go through it all over again?

In the first scenario, I feel proud of my accomplishments, secure in my talents, and value myself. As a result of the second, I might feel bad about myself or ashamed of my actions. I might also try to avoid making the same mistake again. In both circumstances, my belief is based on the experience's conclusion, and if each experience had a different outcome, I would have a different view about it despite the fact that I am the same person.

When we were children and young adults, we all developed a set of beliefs about ourselves and our talents that were the result of various experiences we had. These beliefs now serve us, support us, and are the driving force behind our success and pleasure. There are also another set of beliefs that limit our potential and rob us of our confidence, self-esteem, and pleasure. We can call them dis-empowering or limiting beliefs. I prefer the latter one, "limiting beliefs", because it emphasizes how they prohibit us from taking advantage of the numerous opportunities that life has to offer. These beliefs lead to negative sentiments and self-talk that tells us we're not good enough, we're not deserving, why bother trying when we already know we'll fail, and many other negative self-talk patterns. Terrible self-talk and limiting beliefs or thoughts are a feature of life; who among us hasn't had these kinds of negative experiences? How individuals deal with their inner self-talk, however, varies widely. Being aware of when and how negative self-talk begins is critical.

We may replace our restricting and dis-empowering beliefs with more positive ones that assist and encourage us to achieve more success, but we must go through some processes to get rid of a limiting belief.

My methods for letting go of limiting beliefs and replacing negative self-talk with more positive ones worked for me, and I'm going to share them with you.

• Repeating positive and powerful statements to yourself on a regular basis (affirmations). It's uplifting and energizing.
• Writing down my previous victories and accomplishments, then going back to it when I'm feeling bad.
• Studying and writing about the numerous events and consequences that I've been through, and thinking about how this limiting idea has harmed my life.
• Put myself in the company of inspiring, upbeat people who will lift me up and serve as a constant reminder of all the wonderful things I've accomplished so far.

Hopefully these tools can help you release your limiting beliefs as well. Please feel free to share what has worked for you in the past (in the comments section) or what might work for you in the future (by sending your questions my way).

10 tips to stay positive in a negative environment

It's difficult, but not impossible, to maintain an optimistic outlook while surrounded by negativity. Though it's simple to say, it's nearly impossible to put into practice. However, if you believe in the value of it, you will succeed. Over the last two years, I've been through a lot of hardship. My mood sank, and it appeared as though my life had been placed on pause. Everything seemed impossible to me and I lacked energy or passion for anything. As a result, I made the conscious decision to limit my exposure to any and all negative stimuli.

Listed below are a few pointers that I used to remain upbeat when everything and everyone around me seemed to be depressing.

The following are ten suggestions for maintaining a good outlook.

1- Be present at the moment, let go of the past, and let go of the future worries.

It's critical to take care of your physical, emotional, and spiritual needs if you want to maintain a happy outlook. When you feel good about yourself because you're healthy, fit, and in shape, it's hard for anything else to get to you.

3- Surrender: Have faith in Allah's (God's) mercy and assistance, and trust that He is looking out for your best interests.

4 -Keep a positive group of individuals around you to provide you encouragement and support.

5- Find inspiration by reading about people who have experienced difficult situations in their lives and have learned to have a good outlook in spite of it.

6- Create a habit that allows you to unwind. Deep breathing, meditation, or simply repeating positive affirmations regularly can help you achieve inner calm. Examples of affirmations include: I am safe, I feel amazing, my life is perfect, or whatever other affirmations you want.

7- Focus on what you have instead of what you lack. You should keep a thankfulness diary in which you should write down five things each day that you are grateful for. If you wait a few weeks, you'll have a big list of things to be grateful for.

8- Make an effort to understand your anxieties. Fear is most likely the root of your pessimism, therefore investigate the veracity of your worries and anxieties. In what percentage of cases did they prove to be correct? How are you going to get over your worries and who is going to help you?

Write down your thoughts, feelings, anxieties, and worries in a journal. You'll notice a difference. Make daily journaling a habit; it will be beneficial to your well-being.

10- Do what you enjoy and what makes you happy. To refuel and gain more positive energy, spend time with the people you love, travel, or go on silent retreats in nature.

What can you do to maintain an optimistic outlook while you're surrounded by pessimists?