“Hello darkness my old friend,

I’ve come to talk with you again…”

Simon & Garfunkel 

Have you ever had a dream with a persistent sound in it only to wake up and find your alarm clock on the nightstand making that same sound?  Or someone gently nudging you to wake up and their voice becomes a part of your dream until you eventually do wake up?  Your dream seemed to seamlessly pick up on the sound and creatively incorporate it into the sleeping storyline.  Now, that’s artistry!   We close our eyes at night yet the sounds we hear continue on inspiring the tapestry of our dreams.

What do you hear when fully awake?  There are so many sounds to compete for your attention.  Which ones do you choose to focus on in the soundscape of your wakeful life?  Maybe the sound of the ticking clock, or the hum of the moving fan, or the distant roar of an airplane?  Around you now are so many choices.  Listen closely.

It usually starts with the obvious.  Sometimes it’s hard to get past the obvious.  Loud noises dominate.  It’s easy to get trapped into thinking that’s all there is.  That’s THE sound.  But there are actually many more sounds happening.  A cricket singing outside near the window.  The leaves rustling in the trees.  The drip of the faucet.  The rumble in your stomach.  The beating of your heart.  So many sounds – which do you choose to hear?  What do you want the tapestry of your wakened life to sound like?

So, in this meditative moment, simply listen.  Listen calmly, listen closely to the many sounds around you.  Sounds filled with subtleties.  Try focusing in on one.  Perhaps one that lifts your spirit.  It’s your choice.  Listen closely to what is there…

“And whisper’d in the sounds of silence.”