Listening to Our Souls

Life without TV.  Okay, I didn’t think it would be this hard.  In lieu of my recent decision to give up TV for four days, I am realizing that I rely on TV to keep me going.  TV has been part of my mental health plan.  I used to wonder how the Long Beach students I worked with could listen to music day and night.  Literally, they intentionally ran sound waves through their head at all times.  They were very uncomfortable with silence and would do just about anything to avoid it.  

Today, the silence of our apartment started to creep into me.  I needed some noise.  Why?  I used to be able to be alone and learn from the silence.  Now, the silence is intimidating.  I’m not sure what to do with it.  I have to relearn the art of listening.  When we listen to others, we have to create a space that allows for communication.  What about communicating with ourselves?  What kind of space do we create to listen to our heart, our true selves?  Why do we resist the voice of what we might call our soul?

There is a psalm in which the writer expresses his desire to be searched and known at the deepest level.  Am I willing to be searched and known, or will I run from the settings where this is likely to occur?  It’s crazy to think how something as simple as turning the TV off has reminded me to listen to my soul.  I have a lot of catching up to do!!