Silence - The essence and importance

Silence - That one word was “Silence” which has different connotations and meaning based on how you look at it.

If we look at the dictionary meaning of the word “Silence” – it defines Silence as - complete absence of sound.

In Kashmiri language (my mother tongue) there is a saying “Choupea chay Ropea saenz; Karakh haey tae sonea saenz” – translating to – Silence is worth it’s price in Silver, but if you are able to practice it – it is pure Gold.

This has always resonated with me strongly.

In Meditation, Silence holds a very prominent place, it dwells into the absence of any thoughts.

Silence says a lot, when you “listen” to it;

Silence heals your mind and body provided you “heed” to it;

Silence makes you creative, by “clearing” the clutter;

Silence helps in building connections, when we “listen rather than talk”;

Silence helps you to tap into the uncharted thoughts and ideas.

Silence is not about the physical place, but the mental place you must be in, away from the noise and distractions in whatever you are doing in your daily life.

There are three areas close to my heart where I make a conscious effort to practice Silence. And it has helped immensely. Some practices and learnings so far -

1.????? Running – Silence can be an important tool if you are someone serious about running and looking at improving on it every time you hit the road. Listen to your rhythm, focus on the movement of your feet. Keep your mind in absolute Silence and every time you will learn a new thing and improvise on it.

2.????? Sales - Early in my career, once my mentor said, I quote “If you want to win a customer, practice Silence – “Not to speak out of turn, listen carefully and respond short and sweet”. You might have the best answer to his/her challenges but absorb the conversation first. You will end up adding a lot more credible nuggets once you speak after listening in Silence to him/her.

3.????? Professional Coaching – I would say this role has taught me the super-power of Silence. Every time I get into a conversation with a client, I have to keep my mind still and Silent – without any bias or judgement, without any suggestions – just listen in. ?Giving the pause, not thinking of the next step / question, focused on the Client – their expressions, tone, body language, eyes, words chosen, the said and the unsaid – these can be gauged only and only if you utilise the power of Silence as a Coach.

In the modern day hustle we often forget how simple practices can go a long way. We love complicated things ??. Silence can help bring in the balance in mind and body and create a positive ripple effect in and around us. Let’s practice to just sit quiet and idle.

Why this post? Well, May is observed as the Mental Health Month globally – building awareness and educating people about Mental health.

At UiPath we are also observing May to build our Mental health and we have had multiple programs running till the end of May to drive the point amongst the employees. The programs and initiatives are to help provide tools and facilities for the well-being of employees.

Even if you are a regular practitioner of Silence, a reminder is always helpful.

Have you practiced “Silence” lately? Try it, it’s therapeutic.

And experience the improvement in your well-being and be more focused.

Identify 3 areas where you can “practice” Silence.

#Coaching #Sales #running #Executivecoaching #lifecoaching #uipath