MSI Press Blog

Today's meditation from  Weekly Soul: Fifty-two Meditations on Meaningful, Joyful, and Peaceful Living   by Dr. Frederic Craigie. -23-   When we make a place for silence, we make room for ourselves. By making room for silence, we resist the forces of the world which tell us to live an advertised life of surface appearances, instead of a discovered life—a life lived in contact with our senses, our feelings, our deepest thoughts and values .   Gunilla Norris   Silence is a rare and precious commodity. It is rare because the world is filled with the sounds of modern industrial and commercial life. Unless you live in the Great North Woods of Maine or other similarly rural place, it is hard to escape the background din of motor vehicles. Your grocery store, your big box store, your local restaurant—all typically have background music that is so subtle and pervasive that you may hardly notice it. Like many people, you might have a radio on in your house ...

   SOUNDS OF SILENCE “Be still and know that I am God.” --Psalm 46: 10   At the end of therapy sessions, my patients often ask me, “What can I do to make this better? Can you give me an exercise?” My advice is always the same, which mostly disconcerts them, “Just pay close attention to yourself.”  “How do I do that?” they ask. “Just be quiet, listen, and see what you learn about yourself,” I respond. I explain, “You can only heal from the inside out. When you understand yourself, you will know what to do.”  My patients see themselves as broken and needing to be fixed. They view me as the expert who will guide them to health. It is as if they are a broken car, and I am a skilled mechanic. They want a manual of repairs for a quick fix. I tell them, “You have the answer within you, but may not know it yet.”  We live in an attention deficit culture. We are hyperactive and need to keep busy. Being alone and quiet makes us restless and nervous. We are easily distract...