O. Henry jump-started his writing career after he was imprisoned for allegedly stealing funds from the bank he worked for. And Malcolm X became who he was by educating himself via the library of the prison where he was sent up. So sometimes good things come out of it.
It might be useful to acknowledge beforehand to anyone that tries this "What if you set aside a weekend for a little self-imposed solitary confinement? Or hell, even an hour?" that they are likely to encounter a good deal of inner noise for a good while before anything resembling restorative silence shows up.
Totally. I originally had included a snippet from my first three day meditation retreat but took it out. The seemingly endless mind chatter finally died down by day two. It wasn't easy but it was definitely worth it.
I think the noise that is coming at us from screens, apps, traffic, landmowers (for the love of something, please stop it) - that is the noise we should dial down. The fake, go-go-go noise.
The noise we should hear more of, whether we are introverted or not, is the noise of humans. Of course I don't mean those annoying neighbours next door.
Being introverted you still need to spend enough time with people. Maybe not groups, could be one loved one. And unfortunately I see less and less of that nowadays.
That's a good point Maggie. Unfortunately its easier than ever for us introverts to avoid all human contact if we want. I love hanging out with people one on one but big group settings always stress me out!
Yep I understand. I like hanging out with people one-on-one, but groups too if they're a fun and 'safe' crowd. I just need some time to recover after haha. And yes, it's too easy to not be around people at all nowadays. Isolation and loneliness is one of the reasons why anxiety and depression are on the rise 😕
You and me both. Even if I have an amazing time with people I truly enjoy, I usually need to rush home and collapse on the couch for a few hours to recharge haha.
I think its so important to pay attention to who energizes us vs. drains us. It's our bodies telling us who we need to be around and who we may want to avoid.
It can be that for sure, or sometimes I'm just running on empty and I don't realize it in time so everything and everyone drains me. When I turn into a negatron, it's usually time for me to recharge 😉
The first phase of it was filled with a lot of anxiety, it was like vomiting everything held inside.
But eventually, found myself lost in clouds, looked at stars for hours, found out if you read one page from a book and then another from another book, it's like reading a single book.
As someone who has worked in prison for many years, it's clear you've never been to prison. That's a good thing, keep it that way 😅 Prisons are anything but quiet! In any case, yes sitting in silence is so important and can be so life-changing. I've done quite a few meditation courses and the insights you gain from just being quiet and spending time with yourself and your own thoughts is invaluable.
O. Henry jump-started his writing career after he was imprisoned for allegedly stealing funds from the bank he worked for. And Malcolm X became who he was by educating himself via the library of the prison where he was sent up. So sometimes good things come out of it.
Maybe if I ever decide to become an author I'll have to get locked up first so I can get my work done :)
You have the advantage in prison of having a lot of do-nothing time with few other entertainment options.
Exactly. I need to find a way to create more do-nothing time without committing a crime to get it!
It might be useful to acknowledge beforehand to anyone that tries this "What if you set aside a weekend for a little self-imposed solitary confinement? Or hell, even an hour?" that they are likely to encounter a good deal of inner noise for a good while before anything resembling restorative silence shows up.
Totally. I originally had included a snippet from my first three day meditation retreat but took it out. The seemingly endless mind chatter finally died down by day two. It wasn't easy but it was definitely worth it.
I think the noise that is coming at us from screens, apps, traffic, landmowers (for the love of something, please stop it) - that is the noise we should dial down. The fake, go-go-go noise.
The noise we should hear more of, whether we are introverted or not, is the noise of humans. Of course I don't mean those annoying neighbours next door.
Being introverted you still need to spend enough time with people. Maybe not groups, could be one loved one. And unfortunately I see less and less of that nowadays.
That's a good point Maggie. Unfortunately its easier than ever for us introverts to avoid all human contact if we want. I love hanging out with people one on one but big group settings always stress me out!
Yep I understand. I like hanging out with people one-on-one, but groups too if they're a fun and 'safe' crowd. I just need some time to recover after haha. And yes, it's too easy to not be around people at all nowadays. Isolation and loneliness is one of the reasons why anxiety and depression are on the rise 😕
You and me both. Even if I have an amazing time with people I truly enjoy, I usually need to rush home and collapse on the couch for a few hours to recharge haha.
Yep, same! But with some (small) groups, it can energize me. Unsure how all that works!
I think its so important to pay attention to who energizes us vs. drains us. It's our bodies telling us who we need to be around and who we may want to avoid.
It can be that for sure, or sometimes I'm just running on empty and I don't realize it in time so everything and everyone drains me. When I turn into a negatron, it's usually time for me to recharge 😉
... https://youtu.be/OOwmXgNF9HM ...
Oh! The things we discover in solitude...
It's the beginning of a new relationship.
The first phase of it was filled with a lot of anxiety, it was like vomiting everything held inside.
But eventually, found myself lost in clouds, looked at stars for hours, found out if you read one page from a book and then another from another book, it's like reading a single book.
Weird and truly magical ✨
Solitude is such a gift that many of us try to avoid like the plague!
As someone who has worked in prison for many years, it's clear you've never been to prison. That's a good thing, keep it that way 😅 Prisons are anything but quiet! In any case, yes sitting in silence is so important and can be so life-changing. I've done quite a few meditation courses and the insights you gain from just being quiet and spending time with yourself and your own thoughts is invaluable.
This is why I love writing because it allows (much more qualified) people like you to point out how horribly wrong I can be. Thank you!
You're right. Prisons can be quite noisy places now that I think about it.
What's your meditation practice look like?