Embracing the Silence

 

I used to be afraid of silence, but now I’m learning how to embrace it. Truth be told, sometimes the fear of not knowing still tries to rear its ugly head and I find myself becoming impatient when I’m in that waiting phase. Here’s the crazy part. While waiting, I would entertain false scenarios that would dance around in my mind about a situation. Often, the things that I was thinking, were not even how the story played out in the end. 

I even experienced the fear of silence when starting out as a Speaker, a Trainer & a Radio host. I would over-prepare, allowing myself to always have extra talking points to play around with if I needed them. YES... this experience did create some fear. However, it has also served me well because through this process I’ve become a more confident speaker/trainer. It was important for me to always have something to say and never allow “dead air” to creep in. Dead air to me meant that I ran the risk of running out of material to speak on in front of my audience. Thus, the silence would ensue, echoing the sound of those proverbial chirping crickets in the background waiting for me to break that silence.

The whole experience has been an eye-opening blessing in disguise. Of course, it didn’t start out that way in the beginning. However, I respect the fact that I had to experience that discomfort because it helped me grow through those pains. It has also propelled me into the position that I embrace with confidence today. I intentionally use silence now, as a time to pause & reflect, and to gain a better understanding before responding. There are many benefits of using silence, and I welcome them.

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