Quiet moments are becoming more rare and valuable in an ever-growing noisier-by-the-minute world where news is blaring, playlists are pumping, IG stories are baton-passing, gadgets are always going, and phones pinging in stereo. 

Being comfortable in purposeful moments of quiet can overflow graciously into areas of life where others may lean more towards restlessness. Proactivity is important but patience is still a beautiful fruit.

What compels you to ‘be still’ while taking in something? It could be observing the sunrise through your window, birdwatching, slowly watering your plants, relaxing in the hammock, a daily slow-stretching series, deep breathing sessions first thing in the morning or the feature of today’s post – reading.

I’m not sure why readers, writers and bloggers pair words with hot drinks – maybe because the pace it takes to sip and savor them matches well with the peaceful bpm of reading. Feel free to make yourself a cup of tea or coffee while you select your next good read.

If marathon reading preset material is a requirement for your studies or job, how about starting with a reasonably short read about something light or uplifting that peaks your interest.

The fact that reading harmonizes so sweetly with quiet is so poetic and beautiful. 

Have you ever started reading in a moderately active environment and realized that the more you breathe, focus and are interested in the topic, you can subconsciously turn down the external volume and tap into a quiet bubble you can concentrate in? That doesn’t always happen, but it is possible – doable.

It would be annoying and more than a l’il distracting to sit in the midst of a large crowd or concert with a book and expect to be able to focus on reading without interruption, but in moderate-volume space, like full houses, cosy cafes, public gardens, parks, hotel lobbies, bank lines, on buses, trains and subways – even in cars, we can adjust the volume of our surroundings and hone in on enjoying a good read without any frustration.

Ideally, a naturally serene space suits reading best but if you’re not there, be vigilant about finding the quietest place to be so you quiet your thoughts yet exercise your brain while gaining some spelling and sentence structure reminders along the way.

Sounds have a necessary place in life too and even what we understand as silence has a combination of frequencies. 

Songwriters, musicians and studio engineers understand the necessary eb and flow between sound and silence in order to usher a song to the finish line, work through the various stages of rehearsals and ‘rest your ears’ in between mixing.

There’s a time for sound and a place for quiet.

Reading is a big part of feeding, exercising and preserving your mind.

When’s the last time you treated your brain to a rest from talking and a journey into reading? It could be through:

• A blog post
• subtitles to a film (with the volume set to ‘mute’)
• A chapter
• A book
• A verse
• A relative or friend’s poetry
• A magazine article
• A study
• A journal entry 

What volume is your life set to right now? This isn’t a quiz; just a light prompt and sisterly reminder to consider that for a moment and do your own self-check to see if it’s in a healthy position for your (higher) purpose.

What are you reading now and what seeds are being planted in the process?

If you’d like to re-set the pace and volume of your life for the better, reading is a good step forward. 

P.S: words are like meals. The ones we think, say, dish out or take in matter. Choose well.

“A Good Read, A Hot Drink and Quiet Time” was first published on itsjoywithin.com

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