When the Noise is Winning

It was in the mid-1950s when she was trying to get pregnant. She and her husband were losing hope as all of their friends were having babies. She went to the doctor and endured testing. Everything came back normal. The doctor’s recommendation? Take a month off of work and totally relax. The result? A baby nine months later!

My friend told me this story about getting pregnant with her first child, and I was struck by the truth that though 65 years have past, not much has changed. The stress of the world still has a drastic impact on us mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. That doctor was wise in his advice. And while it's not always realistic for us to check out for a month, shutting out the noise when it’s getting too loud isn’t a bad idea.

Being a part of community is vital for healthy engagement, and we each have so much to share with others. But does the noise of the outside ever get to be too much? Sometimes the silence that comes during a soft snow, or the stillness after a storm is just what the doctor ordered. Stepping away from expectations, self-induced pressure, and unnecessary demands gives us the goodness—mind, body and soul—necessary for rejuvenation.