Silence is something that comes from your heart, not from outside. Silence doesn’t mean not talking and not doing things; it means that you are not disturbed inside. If you’re truly silent, then no matter what situation you find yourself in, you can enjoy the silence. - Thich Nhat Hanh “Silence is not merely negative – the pause between words, a temporary cessation of speech – but, properly understood, it is highly positive: an attitude of attentive alertness, of vigilance, and above all of listening.” - Archimandrite Kallistos Ware “We need silence, not to escape from ourselves but to know the foundation, the roots, the tendencies of our true nature. There is in us a zone where noise and tumult have no place, and a zone where everything reverberates. When we try to return to the inner, vital zone, it is not to cancel the noise. We do not make use of our moments of collectedness as a retreat. Inner silence is comparable to a light that reveals what is in the shadows, reveals our mechanicality. When we deeply relax, our attention unglues itself little by little from our preoccupations, our identifications. It moves, gropingly, toward the zone of silence… During the experience of inner silence, if thoughts appear, they pass as if upon a screen. Our emotions are short-lived movements that do not carry us toward externals. Our moments of inner openness are linked to the silence.” - Alphonse Osbert “Do not worship silence, but that to which the silence leads.” - Tom Rothschild “Within you, there is a stillness and a sanctuary to which you can retreat at any time and be yourself. - Herman Hesse

When a cat lets go of a tree, it lets go of itself

Fear has a strong physical component: the body pumps stress hormones, blood flows, muscles tense. The mind can become fuzzy and it can become difficult to think of anything but fear. Fear is the body’s protection to keep it alive, to keep its progeny and family alive. Fear is an animal instinct. When we experience fear, we hunker down, become singularly focused, we figuratively build walls and compounds for protection. Fear actually has a pleasure component – dopamine. That’s easy to see in those who just love the craziest roller-coaster. Dopamine helps explain how fear can become addictive, a more constant way we approach living. And constant fear is unhealthy - wearing on our bodies, impacting our hearts, our circulation, our weight, our mental acuity – just like most addictions. Compassion is also a natural expression of the human spirit. It is the deep understanding that we are in this together. Compassion takes more courage than fear. It’s a willingness to stand strong with hearts open. Malidoma Soma, an African shaman, once said, “compassion, love, caring is in fact a life that looks graphically like, a whole bunch of people holding hands together and walking towards a chasm, but singing, because they know, if they fall, all of them together, beauty is the only thing that can happen.” As we face the challenges of this time - the elections, the environment, the war and hatred - along with our personal challenges of health, loved ones, memories, economics, is it possible to face them with compassion for yourself and others? Are your thoughts based on fear or love and compassion? Look for contraction and tension in the body and mind. Smile. That alone will begin to break the fear addiction. Then watch for judgment and keep smiling.

The world just isn't the way we want it.