Silence is a doorway to understanding and transformation, allowing us to break free from anxieties and connect deeply with ourselves and others.
Life consists of three essential marriages - work, another person, and ourselves - each offering growth, renewal, and deepening intimacy.
Embracing the unknown and cultivating silence allows us to find true happiness, letting go of expectations and control, and fully inhabiting the present moment.
Deep dives
The Power of Silence
Silence is often seen as the enemy to our established identity, but it is actually a doorway to understanding and transformation. Embracing silence allows us to let go of our anxieties, worries, and reluctances, and be open to the present moment. By cultivating a relationship with silence, we can find peace, compassion, and intimacy with ourselves and others. Silence helps us break free from the noise and busyness of life, connecting us to a deeper sense of self and the world around us.
The Three Marriages
Life consists of three essential marriages: to work, to another person, and to ourselves. Each marriage comes with its challenges and disappointments, but also the opportunity for growth and renewal. Anxieties and worries are common in these relationships but embracing the edge of darkness within us allows for understanding and transformation. By committing fully to the vows we have made in each marriage, we create the space for deepening intimacy, self-discovery, and the ability to fully inhabit the present moment.
The Art of Undoing
The pursuit of happiness often comes with a beguiling reluctance to truly embrace joy and contentment. We carry within us inherited hurts and fears that make us hesitate to fully experience happiness. However, by approaching life with a sense of not-knowing and embracing the edge of darkness, we can find understanding, compassion, and the courage to let go of expectations and control. The path to happiness lies in restfully inhabiting our bodies, listening to the silence within, and fully embracing the present moment.
The Importance of Silence in Modern Life
In our modern world, silence is often overlooked and undervalued. Yet, silence offers us an escape from the noise and chaos of daily life, creating space for inner reflection, peace, and self-discovery. The reluctance to embrace silence stems from our fear of confronting our anxieties and fully inhabiting the present moment. By cultivating a discipline of silence, we can find deeper connections with ourselves, others, and the world around us. Silence holds the potential to unlock profound understanding, intimacy, and transformation.
The Invitation of Silence
Silence invites us to let go of our preconceived notions, expectations, and anxieties. It beckons us to embrace the unknown, to befriend ourselves and others without judgment or labels. Silence allows us to create genuine intimacy, both in our relationships with others and with ourselves. By shedding the noise and distractions of the world, we can find rest and nourishment in the silence within. When we accept the invitation of silence, we discover that we are not troubled guests on this earth, but participants in a grand and mysterious conversation.
David Whyte is a poet and author who also leads the Many Rivers Organization and Invitas, the Institute for Conversational Leadership, which he founded in 2014. David is the author of many poetry collection and prose books, including his newest book, Still Possible
In this episode, Eric and David discuss several of David’s beautiful poems from his latest collection, as well as some of his older work.
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David Whyte and I Discuss The Art of Poetry and Prose and…
