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When my husband and I returned to New Jerey we settled in the same town we had moved out of 11 years earlier. We were coming from Pennsylvania, where we lived in a VERY rural place indeed. Our property was 4 acres big and mostly wooded; I miss those woods every day! All around there were trees, underbrush and pretty ferns to look upon. And always the wild turkeys, the deer and the occasional black bear roaming through our property.
Here in NJ there are people. And cars. Back and forth all day long; people in their cars on missions to the grocery store, dollar store, pizzeria, home improvement store, gas station, doctor’s office, and post office over and over and over again, all day long. You see the same car go out, then come back in, then go out again. What?!
I get it; you’re retired with nothing to do.
Find something to do, that’s key!
Which, you could say, just leads to more busyness. But, not necessarily so . . .
The ONE thing I loved to do more than anything else when I lived in northeast PA was to walk my dogs down to the secondary road at the beginning of our road. From here you could drive out on it and this road meandered down 4 miles to Rt. 6. Where I was, though, there was nothing but a large, empty swath of state land across the street from my road. I would take the dogs across and just stand there looking into the empty fields.
It was totally quiet. Maybe the undercurrent of crickets or an occasional small plane buzzing by. Hardly a car would pass by and there were quite a few homes past our road, but the traffic was non-existent.
Quiet. Just silence.
It felt so good.
Think about all the noise in our worlds: right now, I’m clicking away on my laptop (click, click, tap, tap), one of my webpages is broadcasting an online radio show I like to listen to, and my TV is on in the other room. Not to mention my dogs may bark, my phone may ding, my refrigerator turns on and off, and my husband and I talk to each other. When I venture outdoors, there’s cars passing by, helicopters and planes overhead and even the occasional fighter jet, like the one that buzzed by yesterday. (We live on the cusp of Lakehurst Naval Air Station.) And let’s not forget the Spring wind.
Noise and more noise. How DO you find peace?
I would like to recommend two books to you. One is The Power of Silence by Robert Cardinal Sarah.
If you have had it with noise to the left of you, distraction to the right and feel like you’re stuck in the middle with tweets, snaps, chats, Musak, drones, and endless useless conversations, this book will help you to regain some of your sanity in this noise-soaked world we live in. I HIGHLY recommend it!
OR:
If you would like something with a little Zen-master thrown in, here is Silence: The Power of Quiet in a World Full of Noise by Thich Nhat Hanh.
The world is such a noisy place yet there are ways of attaining moments of silence in each day. And when you cultivate those moments, much good comes forth from them. Let this book show you how. Inner silence does lead to a greater harmony, peace and happiness.
BOTH of these books are very highly rated, so you decide which one will help you most.
There are times every day when we should be doing nothing. That sounds as if it goes against everything we are taught about being successful in the world today. But, there is a “potential” in being silent and having silence all around you.
Just for a moment!
So, before the noise drowns you out one more day, try shutting it all down for awhile:
- Shut off your smartphone or its notifications, just for 1 hour.
- Leave the TV off one night each week.
- Don’t play the radio or any music when you’re driving.
- Take a daily walk by yourself and listen to nothing but the birds and the wind.
- Cultivate a prayer life.
- Stay away from social media for one day each week.
Before you can hear anything, you must listen!
Listen for those still, small voices that come to you on the breezes, or while doing your dishes alone in the kitchen. All those posts you think you are missing . . . well, they’ll be there again tomorrow.
Take a break, let go, just sit and be, if only for a moment. You may find that moment stretching into greater swaths of time. And you may find that moment opening up your mind to thoughts that will ease your day!
Just another way to
“Homekeeping Inspirations for Knitting Your Best Life!”
