Sound of Silence: How to Find Some Quietude in Your Life

“Let us be silent, that we may hear the whispers of the gods.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Post written by Leo Babauta. Follow me on Twitter.

I woke up at 4 a.m. this morning to the sound of silence. An absolute still household, despite there being six kids and a wife all at home. And while I love my family to death, this time of tranquility is one of absolute bliss for me.

I enjoyed my coffee, read a bit, got some writing done.

Then I headed out for an early morning 5 a.m. run in pure silence, without an iPod, busy traffic, or the busy-ness of humanity to disturb my peace. There was a full-to-nearly-bursting orange moon lighting the sky, the hush of the nearby ocean, and an inky blackness surrounding me, my running, and my thoughts.

This time of quietude is not only one of my favorite parts of my day, but has become an essential part of the day. It soothes the soul, quiets my inner beast, brings out the goodness in me, allows me to hear myself.

Having a time of stillness in your life can be similarly wonderful, if you don’t have it already. Let’s take a look at some ways to find quietude in your life and see how the sound of silence can allow your thoughts to emerge.

Now, I should note that you don’t need to be an early riser to find a time of silence during your day. It’s one of the options (as I’ll talk about below), but it’s only one option among many.

“Silence is a source of great strength.” – Lao Tzu

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