Stories Seldom Told

Jeff Levy, LCSW
(originally posted on Branching Out: The Live Oak Blog, June 2014)

I’ve never been great with silence.  In my own life, I am known to be listening to music while working at my laptop, or having the television on while cleaning a room.  When I used to jog regularly, I would be sure to be wearing headphones.  It has been hard to sit with my thoughts without having the ability to refocus on whatever information my ears bring me.  I am aware of my tendency to fill space with sound, and I try as much as possible to bring this awareness to my work.
 
Intellectually, I know that there is power in silence; that the quiet offers a time for contemplation and intention.  In more recent years, I have developed a great respect for the power and benefits of meditation and mindfulness, and try to bring both into my own life as well as into the lives of my clients.  Still, I notice that prolonged silence is anxiety provoking for me and, I’m guessing, many of us.  Noticing this discomfort for me, has allowed me to sit with silence with greater acceptance.

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