Inspiring Stories of Love, Healing, & Empowerment

Inspirations

August 2002
Issue Number 10

Welcome to Inspirations! Global Community For All sends out this e-zine filled with short, inspiring stories of love, healing, and empowerment once every three months. We share these wonderfully inspiring stories to encourage and inspire each other to be the best we can be each day of our lives. Thanks for joining us, and may these words inspire us to ever deepen our commitment to love, heal, and empower; to open to divine guidance; and to choose what's best for all.

Silence is Golden - By Fred Burks

About five years ago, I started making it a top priority to set aside one evening a week as time to myself. Not long afterwards, I found myself using these evenings as a time of silence, reflection, and meditation–a time to open to my own inner wisdom. My spiritual nature began pulling me deep into myself, so that before long, I called these times my evenings of silence.

I soon developed guidelines for my weekly evenings of silence, which I continue to use to this day. I do not use this time to read, work on the computer, or do anything that might distract me from moving within. I only write if it is to record an inspiration I receive during these times. I often play soft, recorded music which supports me on my inward journey. I do my best to pay attention to my breath, as I've found slow, deep breaths greatly assist me in calming my thoughts and feeling my connection with my deeper self and with Spirit.

When I start an evening of silence, I usually set aside 10 to 15 minutes to allow my mind to go wherever it wants to go. My mind usually needs to wander and to process what's been going on during the day, so I give it full permission to do so during this time. Yet even while doing this, I continue to focus on slow, deep breaths, reminding me of my intention to go deeper.

Either at the beginning of the evening, or after this time of allowing my mind to run freely, I move into silent prayer asking for help and guidance in bringing me to a place of deep connection and inspiration. I also choose a topic from my life for contemplation this evening as I send up these prayers. I end this prayer by reaffirming my commitment to what's best for all, to divine guidance, and to love, support, and empower all to be the best that we can be.

How I use the remainder of my time in silence has shifted over the years. When I first started, I did a number of exercises which helped me to move deeper. I would spend some time doing deep, rapid breaths while asking for guidance before moving back into slow, deep breaths. I would sit in front of a mirror looking deep into my own eyes while inviting myself to open to loving myself deeply. I would hum a single note (toning) with the intention of moving more deeply into connection with myself and with the Divine.

More recently, however, I only occasionally use these practices. I have become much better at surrendering to guidance from my inner self and from Spirit, so that I naturally go deep without the aid of the above practices. I do, however, continue to place great importance in slow, deep breaths, and in setting an intention for what I want to explore in these special times.

I find these evenings of silence incredibly refreshing and rejuvenating! It is so wonderful and empowering to have this time to remind myself of the deeper reasons for why I am here and what I am doing with my life. It's like getting recharged and refocused every week so that I can move more clearly and powerfully through the rest of the week. I have so enjoyed it, in fact, that I started doing occasional full days of silence. Two years ago, I even decided to set aside five consecutive days once a year for deep silence and contemplation. Though these times certainly can bring up challenges, in the end they are almost always incredibly inspiring and empowering.

For anyone interested in getting to know your inner world better and in developing a stronger, deeper connection with the Divine, I highly recommend exploring time in silence on a regular basis. You will be amazed at the amount of wisdom you hold within yourself if only you are willing to be patient and to open fully to your own deeper self. It has clearly been one of the most powerful ways I've found to continue to grow, learn, and find ever more love, joy, and empowerment in my life.

Thanks for sharing in these inspiring stories with us. We wish you lots of inspiration and all the very best in the coming month.