“Eee-la-la!”

Once again, my computer had frozen. It was two minutes before I was to give a presentation over Zoom for ICF Philadelphia. The talk was titled The Art of Engaged Mindfulness, yet at that moment, I was playing out  The Art of Engaged Frustration.

I needed to shift my consciousness and find a solution in 120 seconds. But, like the computer, I was frozen. I quickly sent a text to my friend Catherine. She immediately responded, “Go audio. Forget the video.”

Of course! And so I did.

But I was still churning inside. Sixty seconds…

Taking a deep breath, I silently paused… Silently relaxed… Silently opened… Silently listened… Silently trusted what emerged… Silently, I spoke my truth.

And I moved into the presentation with these silent sounds of wholehearted mindfulness. There was much laughter and ease during the presentation, all stemming from the original silence.

Whatever the conditions of our lives may be, when we delve into the living silence within, we have arrived. Silence is an important antidote to any obstacle that may arise. Silence highlights and helps us see the words that are vibrant, pulsing and alive. As we silently digest life’s experiences, we continually discard what is no longer needed, and turn it into compost.

As coaches, we embrace silence to help cultivate and respond to a mind that sees clearly. We can help our clients feel comfortable with silence by guiding them with the words from above:

Pause…
Relax…
Open…
Listen deeply…
Trust what emerges…
Speak your truth.

And then we sit in silence. We sit in the mystery of life’s continual unfoldment.

~Ann-Marie McKelvey, LPCC, MCC
July 2017