Do You Hear What I Hear?

Written by Robyn Holder Robyn Holder

Published: 11 December 2017 11 December 2017

Check out the following two words:  S I L E N T and L I S T E N. 

They both have the same letters!  You usually have to be silent to listen.  If you are silent when you listen, you may hear more.  My adult children have told me sometimes they just want me to listen to them – to be silent – rather than going “Mom” on them and offering solutions and advice.  It’s hard for me!

So, when one of my favorite priests, Father Joshua Brommer, of St. Patrick’s Cathedral, recently spoke of silence, I listened!  Father Brommer expressed the value of silence related to being able to hear God’s message to us. It was a poignant homily. 

I relate the value of silence to the important aspect of self-care.  If you take some time to be silent, you might be able to listen to your brain.  You might be able to hear your heart.  What are they saying you need to do to be healthy and vital?  In his message, Father Brommer implored us to not be afraid of the answers we hear.  I implore you to trust yourself, your body, and your mind.  Give yourself some down time, some silent time, and listen to what your body is expressing, and then take action to have the best health possible!

Many religions recognize the season of Advent as a time of silence. Father Brommer takes some time each day in Advent to simply sit and look at the lights on his own Christmas tree.  He finds it very calming and looks forward to this quiet time each day.

I encourage you to value silence, and create some quiet time each day – during Advent, and the entire year.  In my Healthier Office wellness presentation, I stress the importance of taking a little break in the workday to recharge.  A little bit of silence can do the same thing for you.  Listen to me!

If you’d like to hear more about our corporate wellness presentations, don’t be silent!   We have several to choose from to give your work staff a boost in their health goals.  Our fun and interactive presentations can be done at a Lunch and Learn, sales meeting or staff retreat.  They are reasonably priced and include take-away educational materials. Give us a call!  We’ll listen!

To Your Vitality!