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Silence is Golden

By on December 6, 2017
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By Nola Parker

“Work hard in silence. Let success make your noise.”
Frank Ocean

Have you ever come across this quote from author, Frank Ocean? It’s one of my favorite quotes because it clarifies and validates the need to keep your dreams and goals close to your vest. Many women, when celebrating an accomplishment or success naturally want to share that triumph with others. While sharing a successful achievement is a good way to let friends and family in on your hard work, and to encourage others to keep working hard, there are times when women should make a point of staying silent.

In addition to giving you time for personal reflection and time to gather and sort through your thoughts and actions, silence has many other benefits. They include finding increased emotional awareness, enhanced mental clarity, and improved anger management. Staying silent about your goals and plans gives you time to think them through, make plans for how you want to carry them out, and decide who, if anyone, you will share them with.

Sadly, many women are blindsided when they muster the courage to share their dreams, goals, and plans with others only to be met with criticism and discouragement. Others often have a difficult time sharing in the thrill and excitement of your future dreams. That’s particularly true when the people you share with are struggling with thwarted dreams of their own. It can be hard to share in others excitement when you feel as if your own life is not fulfilling.

“Silence is a true friend who never betrays.”
Confucius

Remember the childhood game of telephone? In this game, you tell one person a story, they tell another person, they tell yet another person and so on. By the time the story reaches the last person in the line, it’s usually distorted. Sadly, that can happen under the best of circumstances. When you want your plans to achieve your desired outcome, it’s a good idea to keep them to yourself. That silence not only preserves your dreams, it preserves them fully intact. In addition, because your goals can – and often do – change along the way, keeping them to yourself lets you avoid explaining any deviations from your original plan.

It’s also better to stay silent when talking with people who have a preconceived plan for your life. Usually, well-meaning parents and friends may feel as if they have your best interest at heart. After all, what they want for you is safety, stability, and a secure future. Often, though, that concern for the end result may lead to far-too-regimented plans for attaining that security. That, in turn, can lead to an inability to support any goals and plans that veer off the beaten path. In those instances, it may prove more shrewd and clever to stay silent about your hopes and dreams – for their preservation and for their longevity.

Additionally, keeping those hopes and ideas to yourself can help protect you from individuals who may not have the best of intentions. For instance, authors and songwriters are often silent about their creative works out of fear they may be pirated. The same holds true for research developers, product inventors, and other women in creative fields. Silence under these circumstances is vital, particularly when naysayers come dressed as well-wishers.

“Speech is of Time, Silence is of Eternity.”
Thomas Carlyle

One of the times when it is most difficult to stay silent is when tempers flare and anger rules your emotions. Staying silent in moments of anger and outrage serve two important purposes. First, it can keep you from saying things in anger that you might later regret. Secondly, silence in the heat of anger can spare the feelings of others, because once words are spoken, they are impossible to take back.

Finally, English poet, Thomas Carlyle, very wisely stated that silence is golden. In silence, great ideas are formed, well thought out plans are made, and strategic alliances are formed. Yes, silence is golden, and so are its benefits. Your dreams have a greater opportunity to come to fruition when you hold your tongue and allow the clarity and meditative benefits of silence to speak to the deepest part of you.

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NP17Nola Parker is a six-time published author, coach, and exemplary teacher. Drawing from her wealth of experience in life, she utilizes well-validated techniques and principles, which have proven to be effective over time. Nola uses her creative writings as a tool to fight against all sorts of abuse and maltreatment in the society.

Website – www.thethingaboutbullies.com
Facebook Page- https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=nola%20a%20parker

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