"The music is not in the notes, but in the silence between." My physical therapist shared this Mozart quote with me and I immediately sensed an application for life. My natural instinct is to think about what I can do in a given situation. Sometimes, what might be most needed is to contemplate what I can NOT do. Where can I use space or silence to bring more impact than my usual response of words or actions?
In my last physical therapy session, we explored how I may be contributing to some of the problems I’m having with my back lately, by doing things unconsciously and quickly. She encouraged me to slow everything down and strive to maintain balance as I approach things that tend to cause pain.
A counselor also told me a few years ago to slow down, that my speed was getting me into trouble. Speed seems to be common denominator of my self-made troubles, both physically and emotionally. I need to seek the space between the notes more often!
Still marinating on this thought-provoking quote, I searched and found it mentioned in this
article about musical improvisation. Although the video is about making music, I found even more nuggets to apply toward making the music of our lives.
The piano instructor demonstrated how silence impacts the music. He also said something profound, “Don’t be afraid to use space.” And we’re reminded that it’s in the pauses where we become inspired to make the next move in a way we may not have thought of before, had we just kept rushing through, doing what we’ve always done.
On August 22 in “Finding the Gift,” the daily meditation starts out with, “On your mark. Get set. Slow...” Let’s sit with this idea today and begin to explore how to infuse our days, jobs and relationships with space. If we slow things down, we will allow life to surprise us more often and bring unexpected gifts.
How much more can we receive from what our day has to offer if we slow our pace down? Will we gain more than we lose by going slower? I think so, although living slow is counter-intuitive to what most of us grew up believing—that more is better and faster is best. It certainly is a worthy experiment.
Will you play along and intentionally slow down for the day or even just a few hours and let me know what happens? Congratulations in advance for your slow victories today!
