Unfortunately, in seeing ourselves as we truly are, not all that we see is beautiful and attractive. This is undoubtedly part of the reason we flee silence. We do not want to be confronted with our hypocrisy, our phoniness. We see how false and fragile is the false self we project. We have to go through this painful experience to come to our true self. It is a harrowing journey, a death to self -- the false self -- and no one wants to die. But it is the only path to life, to freedom, to peace, to true love. And it begins with silence. We cannot give ourselves in love if we do not know and possess ourselves. This is the great value of silence. It is the pathway to all we truly want.
Walking is a profound tool of healing. When spirits droop and footsteps falter, walking awakens the
healing powers of the human spirit, literally, with chemicals that change the way you feel...Whether the
wound is physical, emotional, professional, or spiritual, a walk can ease the grip of hard times, delivering an
antidote to despair. But each step requires an act of faith...When I catch my
thoughts plowing through fears and doubts or unanswered questions as I walk, I've
developed the habit of responding politely but firmly… Thank you, but not now.
Right now, I am here and I am walking. Then I return to awareness of my breath or
my footsteps. It's a practice that allows me to acknowledge my lively thought
processes and then choose to redirect my focus.