The Path of Silence

Following the writer's path of silence takes skill and patience.

It means writing without seeking praise for your work or hoping for success or wanting fame or longing for immortality.

It means swimming with earplugs so you no longer hear your ego shouting “Me, me, me....”

Once you learn how to swim past the shoals of these distractions, you can swim into silence rather than away from it.

Silence isn’t your enemy, your nemesis. It’s a gift that will let you hear the rhythm of your heart.

It’s what lets you swim at your own pace, without worrying about praise or criticism, in the direction that pleases you, rather than swimming to satisfy market demands or popular trends.

Following the path of silence will give you the chance to know yourself in a deeper way and to hear your own story as it emerges from the deep.

Each of us may get into the water for different reasons, but in the end we swim toward the same goal, hoping to discover whatever is at the heart of our existence, the mystery at the heart of our life and the lives of our characters.

If we’re skillful enough and patient enough, we can bring our discoveries back to the surface to share with others or simply enjoy on our own.

Don’t let yourself be misled by the sirens of trends, fame, popularity, immortality, or success.

Instead, follow the writer's path of silence to discover the treasures waiting for you... beneath the surface ... in the deepest recesses of your heart.

For more on the value of listening to silence, visit:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/you/article-1081198/Quiet-Author-Sara-Maitlands-search-silence.html
http://www.jungleredwriters.com/2009/07/on-silence-anne-leclaire-listens-below.html
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=125511963
http://www.newscientist.com/blogs/culturelab/2010/05/in-search-of-the-sound-of-silence.php