Main purpose of this article is to draw attention to importance of silence. Literally speaking, word silence comes from Latin word silens meaning to be still, quiet, or at rest.

We all know that blooming flowers, twinkling stars and rising sun indicate beauty, but have you noticed that this beauty also has a hidden trait? It's beauty of silence. It is rightly said that speech is silver but silence is golden. Sound of silence. None to be heard, none to be seen.

It is obviously clear that we are living in noisy word. Annoying sounds and noises pursue us everywhere we go. In street, restaurants, supermarkets and even in places where silence is considered as a requirement like schools and hospitals are not exceptions. From early morning we step out home till we come back, we meet variety of dreadful noises.

Silence is eternal, peaceful and makes our life as well as lives of others beautiful. If used logically, it is a beautiful way to express emotions. Every day we depict a mountain of feelings without uttering a single word. That's also beauty of silence. Silence in itself has extreme strength yet we ignore its importance. Many times we say, "He or she conveyed so much without saying a word." Silence acts in many ways in our interpersonal relationships as well. Howsoever carefully, he is bound to make some slip of tongue. And even a talk arising out of heart with all good intentions in mind of speaker, is liable to be misunderstood by listeners.

Silence allows us to notice things we overlook. Evading distractions allows us to focus more completely on important issues. Silence also allows us to hear things that are buried under normal bell of daily life. Do you ever consider being in silence for a while, when you feel upset about your life? Sometimes I feel that way. You know even after everything goes well still there comes a moment when we look for peace in our life. We look for a quiet place where we can sit and think alone. It helps us to let go our deepest regrets.

Here are some reasons for which we should need to practice silence in our lives. It helps us to relieve our stress. It gives us a place to reconsider about our life without being in tension. In silence, you can hear your inner voice. What it really wants. Silence also gives us a space to refocus in our relationships. It shows us where we are doing wrong in our life, where we need to focus again, where we need to work to better our day-to-day life. Lack of silence in our modern life results in lack of comfort. Silence gives us opportunity to listen to others and more importantly to ourselves. When others speak or during a conversation, silence could be used as sort of politeness and respect that would make communication successful. Silence could also be used to show respect in many occasions. It has long been recognised by many religious groups as a key factor of an ascetic path to spirituality. For example, we as Muslims we silence when we hear someone reading Qur'an.  When you practice silence you develop a forgiving nature. You started to avoid silly mistakes of others. You stop complaining all time. And it brings peace in your life. One of major reasons why silence has become an important part of everyday life is ability to focus as modern world and its various noises enter your brain all at once. Without a doubt, creativity is an important part of life and silence is an important part of creative process. Some studies have shown how important silence is to success of individuals as they move through creative process.

When struggling with the stresses and strains of life you may have difficulties with staying calm. Stress is one of most difficult aspects of modern life. Constant noise from media and our day-to-day lives causes many of us to miss out on benefits of silence. In today's fast-paced world, almost everyone has a short fuse for frustration. Learning to enjoy silence cultivates calmness and peacefulness.

Non-verbal communication plays a vital role in how we interact with others. It is commonly quoted that communication is 90 percent nonverbal communication and body language, with remainder made up of actual words and other vocal elements. You can find different studies that quote different amounts of non-verbal communication in relationships, but regardless of which is true, we know for a fact that non-verbal play a very important role in how we communicate and perceive communication. One piece of communication that accompanies our nonverbal reactions is silence.

Positive silence is necessary for strong relationships to last. Healthy silence can show a level of vulnerability and comfort within a relationship. At other times, one or both individuals may need a break from verbal communication, just being content in each other's space. Healthy silence can also be utilised when a person is angry and escalating.

Being silent allows us to channel our energies. It gives us clarity we need to calmly face challenges and uncertainty. Silence offers opportunities for self-reflection and daydreaming, which activates multiple parts of brain. It gives us time to turn down inner noise and increase awareness of what matters most.

Published in The Daily National Courier, March, 24 2023

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