Silence is a precious commodity these days. I don’t think people get enough of it and what is maybe more concerning is they’re not even seeking it out. I have heard it is the space between the bars that holds the tiger in the cage and it is the silence between the notes that help make up the music. If that is true, how are we to process this constant noise in our daily lives with no end in sight? My guess is, not very well.

A friend of mine once entered an anechoic chamber to see how long he could remain in there in absolute silence (It is a room within a room used for testing products and other experiments). It is so quiet that the background noise measured at negative -9 dBA. You can hear your heart beating, your stomach gurgling and even your lungs. He lasted 15 minutes and he though he was going crazy for the first 5-10.

We’re not used to sitting in silence. We’ve been convinced that we need the TV on in the background, our AirPods in our ears while we run or talking incessantly while out in nature. Maybe not. Try turning these devices off, opening your window and listen. You may be pleasantly surprised at what you hear.

More importantly, you may be surprised at what you don’t hear.

There is nothing inherently wrong with judgement. As I understand it to mean, it is forming an opinion about something or someone. The latter is what I want to focus on. In today’s world, “judgement” is a pretty nasty word. With social media in full throttle we are able to form opinions about others quite often throughout the day and be able to post those opinions or judgements for others to see. Quite often by the person we are judging. And much of these “evaluations” are negative. It’s fairly risk-free to write less than stellar remarks about someone behind the anonymity of a computer/device screen.

I believe fear is one of the reasons people engage in that type of activity. Fear can take many forms: jealousy, resentment, hatred, anger, anxiety, stress, worry, doubt and on and on. There is a never-ending list which I will not get into any further. And for me, fear is a choice. Not the type of fear you feel when you’re standing on the edge of a 50 story building, but the type of fear you choose to indulge in because you are more uncomfortable and it takes a greater effort to build someone up rather than tear them down. It’s a shortcut. It’s like shot of morphine in the arm (not that I’ve ever done that). It’s a quick fix. And we become addicted to that response to the point where we don’t even know we’re doing it.

The opposite of fear is Love. That takes courage and it is a choice as well. Believe you me, I don’t choose that path every time, but when I do, I never regret it.

Always choose Love. Always.

Are you able to look around your world as if it’s the first time. I know it’s nearly impossible, but I try to do my best to never take any views for granted. Whether it’s a raucous rain storm, a night time skyline of the downtown skyscrapers, a blue sky with wispy white clouds or the wind bending a tree’s branches as it scatters its leaves across the ground.

It’s easy enough to brush it off and return to the computer screen as I have done countless times in the past. Although, sometimes I can get caught staring at the snow covered mountains or a hawk gliding in the ether. It is these times when I begin to notice small nuances of color changes in the foliage on the ground or patterns in the shapes of the foothills I didn’t notice before. Then a humming bird hovers three feet in front of me just outside my window or I hear the screech of a hawk as I stand in a clearing. It’s almost like the more you observe with all of your senses, the more you begin to notice.

If you close your eyes for an extended period of time, I’m always surprised at how vibrant the colors are when you open them again. If I could teach these eyes to see the world we live in as if it’s the first time, I would be a happy man. Or I can just appreciate the view and not take it for granted.

Everyone likes receiving gifts. I think. I do. I especially like surprise gifts. When someone says to me, “I have a gift for you,” and it’s not even my birthday or Christmas or any other holiday. I get really excited. I realize that makes me sound boring, but it’s true. Or they say, “I know it’s not anything big, but I thought of you and I got you a little something.” I get giddy. For more than one reason: First of all, it’s not really about what the gift is in the end. It’s the thought. The effort. It’s the fact that this person actually took time out of their day in lieu of all they have going on in it and purchased this item because they thought it would bring me joy. Because they had a billion other choices they could have made in that moment but they pulled money our of their wallet or purse to spend on me. That’s really neat. I know I’m sounding really hokey right now, but it’s true.

If we can all find pleasure and appreciation for the small things in life then our big world may not seem quite so scary and overwhelming at times. It might just bring you some joy. A smile. Or dare I say . . . some laughter.

You want to get real crazy? Go out of your way today and buy, create or give someone you care about or don’t even know a gift. Tell them you were thinking about them when you saw it. Look them in the eyes and connect with them when you say those words. See how they react.

Maybe the best gift you receive is from the gift you just gave away.

I believe breathing is a very simple way of grounding us, keeping us centered and bringing us back to – or keeping us in homeostasis (our optimum functioning state). In particular nasal breathing. There are a number of benefits to breathe through your nose instead of your mouth. It can be a challenge to do, especially when you are sleeping or when exercising, however I think the overall benefits are well worth it.

Proper breathing is also very important. A deep steady breath in through the nose, filling your lungs from the bottom – as you will see your belly expand as well as the bottom ribs – until your lungs are full and then releasing the air – through the nose as well – exhaling twice as long as it took you to breathe in.

Try that 3 times in a row throughout your day. You will feel relaxed, revived and grounded all at the same time.