There’s wisdom in silence
Around 6 weeks ago I gave up actively consuming social media—not because of some sort of epiphany, but rather because I’ve been online for the better part of the past 20 years and grew tired of the noise.
I’ve been a blogger, vlogger, social media ninja, tech influencer, marketing guru, serial online entrepreneur and embraced other sorts of silly titles and job descriptions, doing what I believed I liked.
The problem with the above is that your life revolves around a screen, an Internet connection and the validation of others. And inevitably you end up in your own bubble, occasionally jumping from one bubble to the other. There’s little value in a bubble that is designed to make you feel good and spend more time in it.
Hence, getting out of that bubble is hard and seems like a bad idea, but all the interesting things happen outside of it. Learning happens outside of it, pain happens outside of it, genuine love, sorrow and excitement — all happen outside of it.
All that begins with silence—no more informational rush leaves room for a steady flow of cognitive power. Your real or induced ADD fades away and your mind suddenly starts enjoying an overwhelming feeling of calm.
The point is that silence is good. Silence is healing. And most importantly, your mind thrives on silence. And only good things happen when your mind is not fighting your intellect for attention. As a result, I learned:
To meditate again—something I used to do a while and gave up without any good reason.
To listen to others and not judge.
To help and genuinely not expect anything in return.
To appreciate those dear to you while they are still alive.
That most disease is preventable.
That we’ve never been taught how to properly fuel ourselves.
That most humans are wired to self-destruct over their lifetime.
That less is less, more is more and usually, enough is enough.
That every day you don’t learn something new, is not a wasted day, but a day of rest—however, make sure your rest days are fewer than the learning ones.
That after a certain age, your net-worth is no longer calculated in opportunity, but rather actual assets.
That experiences are worth far more than things (except if they are assets).
But I believe that’s enough for just six weeks—and there should be a conclusion.
If I were to give you one simple peace of advice that you could take with you everywhere, it’s this:
Take care of your mind and body. Meditate and learn to eat. Be kind and listen to others. Do the work you’re good at. Travel as much as you can afford. Invest for eternity, but prepare for old age.
I’ve historically been exceptionally good at only one thing: creative thinking. This helps me as a marketer, business designer, product manager and solutions architect every day. I wear many hats (often at the same time) and that helps me connect the dots in the most unusual and interesting ways. I love science and technology and most importantly, their impact on educating the world. I’m always open for coffee and a nice chat. Thanks for stopping by 🙌🏻 🙏🏻
