Absorb the Quiet

Issue #68

Photograph by Ansel Adams, Mountains Near Death Valley, 1941.

Sometimes, words are not enough, and sometimes, pictures fail to communicate what we are feeling. All we have left is silence.

If the writing is blocked, pick up a brush and paint a picture. If the painting is blocked, walk into the woods and listen.

Life goes on even without the human voice. Listen to the sounds between the silences. Listen to the heartache in another human being. The universe is bigger than mankind, yet the universe is contained in the soul of one individual.

We will not live forever. And someday, the civilizations we are so proud of will vanish and be replaced. Change never ends. Focus on what is possible and forget about what cannot happen.

When we let the small things make us angry, we lose sight of the bigger picture — that, in the grand scheme of things, will not matter a thousand years from now. Where were you when Rome burned?

So take a deep breath, absorb the beauty of the universe into your soul, and create a masterpiece. And give back to the universe a portion of what you have been given. What is to be will be.

Our society is filled with noise and distractions. Some days it is difficult to think because there is so much activity. A creative leader must have solitude if he is to create.

Other people can block the flow of creative juices, but we also need people for stimulus and inspiration. So, it becomes a balancing act between too many people and too few.

If we have too many people in our lives, we stop creating. If we have too few people, we fail to incorporate new ideas into our work and become stagnant. Large committees can destroy creativity.

What is the balance in your life?

Our world today is filled with man-made noise that drowns out many sounds that can be heard in nature, as well as the voice within our hearts. Many of us cannot go anywhere without our iPods, iPads, iPhones, or equivalents. We cannot live without filling our ears with sound.

As creative leaders, we must learn to be quiet. We must have the self-discipline to shut out the noise from the outside world and learn to listen to the small voice deep inside. If we learn to hear that small, gentle voice, we may one day be able to listen to that voice in others. We will be able to connect with others through the sounds of our voices.

Plant seeds of hope in the hearts of others!

Thanks for reading.