The Time Finder with Paula Eder

The way you use your time is the way you live your life.

Find Time for Silence-Make Space for Emptiness

Posted on August 25, 2009, under Time After Time.

BowlsFinding time to fill each moment with activity, productivity and efficiency might seem like what we’d all be aiming for – but it will eventually leave us depleted.  Why is that?

On the other hand, finding time for silence, for emptiness, for space – these are core commitments that can enrich our moments in ways that are hard to imagine or fathom.  Why is that?

In Stephen Mitchell’s beautiful translation of the Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu we read:

We join spokes together in a wheel,
but it is the center hole
that makes the wagon move.

We shape clay into a pot,
but it is the emptiness inside
that holds whatever we want.

We hammer wood for a house,
but it is the inner space
that makes it livable.

We work with being,
but non-being is what we use.

I love the image of the clay that is used to shape the pot, and the emptiness inside being the thing that holds “whatever we want.”  That resonates with my own image of time being like a basket.  The choices that we make about our time and how we use it, comprise the contents of that basket.

Another way to think of it, is to picture each of our moments as being like that clay pot.  Each moment can easily be filled to overflowing with the cacophony of every day living.  Or, from time to time, we can choose to let a moment be … still … silent … empty.

Working with time boundaries is like working the clay of that pot.  Many of us are good at using time boundaries to accomplish tasks.  Today I encourage you to also think of working the clay as a way of simply creating a space for emptiness.

Of course, as anyone who meditates knows, emptiness is an elusive goal at best.  The bowl doesn’t stay empty for long!

But the choice to find time for silence does quell the clamor.  It does rejuvenate you.  It allows you to see and feel that you do have choices and that your feet can be on the ground.  As Lao Tzu says, “We work with being, but non-being is what we use.”

Do you find time for quiet?  Is your bowl (or basket) always overflowing?  How can I help?  I’d love to hear – please feel invited to drop me a line!

What if you could find another hour every day? You can! You are invited to sign up and download The New Finding Time Boundary Template. It’s FREE, and when you sign up you will also receive (if you don’t already) my FREE, weekly Finding Time Tips and my FREE, monthly Award-Winning Finding Time E-zine!

Let’s explore time together …

http://thetimefinder.com/wp-content/plugins/sociofluid/images/digg_24.png http://thetimefinder.com/wp-content/plugins/sociofluid/images/reddit_24.png http://thetimefinder.com/wp-content/plugins/sociofluid/images/stumbleupon_24.png http://thetimefinder.com/wp-content/plugins/sociofluid/images/delicious_24.png http://thetimefinder.com/wp-content/plugins/sociofluid/images/furl_24.png http://thetimefinder.com/wp-content/plugins/sociofluid/images/newsvine_24.png http://thetimefinder.com/wp-content/plugins/sociofluid/images/technorati_24.png http://thetimefinder.com/wp-content/plugins/sociofluid/images/google_24.png http://thetimefinder.com/wp-content/plugins/sociofluid/images/myspace_24.png http://thetimefinder.com/wp-content/plugins/sociofluid/images/facebook_24.png http://thetimefinder.com/wp-content/plugins/sociofluid/images/yahoobuzz_24.png http://thetimefinder.com/wp-content/plugins/sociofluid/images/mixx_24.png http://thetimefinder.com/wp-content/plugins/sociofluid/images/twitter_24.png

Other Posts You Might Enjoy!

There are 6 Responses to “Find Time for Silence-Make Space for Emptiness”

#1 Kathryn Merrow - The Pain Relief Coach - 03 September, 11:05 PM

This is good! We do have to make space to enjoy it in our lives. I have a cobalt blue glass bowl which I keep empty. It reminds me how valuable space is in my life. That empty space is very soothing and peaceful.

#2 Paula - 04 September, 5:31 AM

What a beautiful and evocative reminder! I can picture you breathing into that wonderful spaciousness. Thanks for sharing that, Kathryn.

#3 Helene Desruisseaux - 06 September, 12:13 AM

If I don’t make time for silence, my creativity runs dry and I start feeling overwhelmed…and that works with pretty much everybody.

I need not only silence, but also silence in nature.

#4 Paula - 06 September, 7:42 AM

Hi Helene – I appreciate your comment and observation about the importance of the context of the silence. It is so vital that we each pay attention to what works best for us … and then give ourselves what we need. To your time success!
Paula

#5 alice - 09 September, 4:38 AM

It is so important to set aside quiet time to rejuvenate.
I just came back from the Upper Penninsula of Michigan, where I could appreciate beauty and stillness of nature.
It is really critical for a healthy, life balance.

#6 Paula - 09 September, 6:18 AM

Thanks for stopping by, Alice – it sounds like you had a wonderfully rejuvenating time in a beautiful place. I love hearing about those kinds of time choices – thank you!

Leave a Comment

If this is your first comment it may be held for moderation. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS feed, or Trackback from your own site.