The Fruits of Silence

Liz Montigny uncovers the fruits of holding herself accountable to the goal of creating more silence in her daily routine.

In my last article I challenged myself to create more silence in my daily routine. Glad to tell you I followed through by taking small steps and despite raising three loud boys. Have you ever noticed how when you commit to something, that the Holy Spirit brings you more of that something? Here’s what I uncovered in my quest for silence. 

A friend advised me to take a closer look at Our Lady of Silence: do you know her? I didn’t. Here’s a bit more about Our Lady of Silence. In the icon, Our Lady has a single finger to her lips. Prayer to her “brings 12 virtues: silence itself, listening, humility, joy, paying attention to others, patience, balance, docility, stability, purity, trust, and mercy.” I don’t know about you but I’ll sign up for all of those! I’m slowly but surely getting closer to them by making some simple changes to my regular habits.

I wasn’t missing anything

As an entrepreneur, I felt like I always needed to be “on.” By reducing my screen time, I discovered it’s best for me to share quality over quantity and work with my purpose in mind online (yes, sometimes the coach needs to listen to her own coaching). I even deleted one app from my phone altogether. I’ve discovered I’m not missing a thing, and “fomo” is a state of mind—not an actual event.

My prayer has changed

No, I haven’t given up my daily Rosary and Divine Mercy Chaplet but I’ve changed how I pray. I often pray with my eyes closed, cutting out any visual “noise,” and I go to a quiet place to pray. Sometimes this is a lawn chair in my front yard, sometimes this is my bedroom, sometimes this is my car while waiting in the school pick up line. Relocating my physical body to a new space also reminds my mind and heart to prepare for something new too.

Being present boosts gratitude

Walking is one of my favorite ways to move my body and clear my head. Trouble was I was filling my head with whatever was coming out of my headphones. It was good input but it was not essential for me to listen to while walking. Walking in silence helps me appreciate the wonder of God's creation. Taking time to reflect on this gift leads me to gratitude, which brings joy. 

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Relocating my physical body to a new space also reminds my mind and heart to prepare for something new too. #catholicmom

What about you? Have you considered how you can let some silence into your life?

Copyright 2022 Elizabeth Montigny
Images: Canva