By Tim Dennim
1.
it’s the space between the notes
I learned the lesson of
silence many years ago when I was a music producer. I tried so hard to make
music that created high levels of energy and made people feel emotional.
Bringing people to
tears while making them dance was my dream (it’s funny how this dream hasn’t
really changed except the music has been replaced by blogging).
My music producer
mentor taught me that the key to creating emotion and being successful at
anything you do is to create the silence between the notes. He explained to me
that the emotion was not the notes of music themselves; it’s the way the notes
bring about moments of silence
This lesson has been
fundamental to my entire life, and I have applied it to many other areas. It’s
strange how even though we learn lessons like this they can be quickly
forgotten. While on holidays, I was watching a video of a musician who was
performing an audition.
During the song, I
realised that the most emotional moments were when the musician kept the
audience hanging on, and waiting for the next note.
In those few seconds
between notes, the audience had a chance to reflect on the meaning of the words
he was singing and let the melody touch their souls. I’m not sure why exactly,
but the silence became so powerful, and I was deeply moved.
“Your success is not the events of your
life; your success is the silence you create for others that lets them feel the
emotion you are radiating out to them”
2.
It’s what you don’t say
The best parts of any
good movie are the parts when you are left to decide for yourself what
happened; in other words, it’s the parts where you are left in silence with
your own thoughts. The best thing a blogger has to say is the sentence that
they choose not to write.
Monk Meditating It’s not
what we say; it’s what we don’t say that creates our success. It’s that moment
when everyone else is reacting to an event and judging someone, and you choose
not to follow the crowd. You decide not to put people down; you choose to stay
silent.
There are so many
things you can complain about, yet it’s when you choose to stay silent that
people will be drawn to what you’re doing. There are so many things wrong with
the world, yet there is so much beauty at the same time.
It’s what you don’t say
about you; that says so much about you. It’s the secrets you give away when
you’re not talking and just being at one with your environment. It’s your body
language that reveals what you’re really thinking.
The temptation is never
to shut up and always be talking. It’s alluring to become obsessed with
yourself and to add to the noise of the world. What if you chose to stay silent
once in a while and just be happy with where you’re at right now? Too much
achieving and not enough fulfillment will destroy the silence that you need.
3.
There is constant noise, and the escape is where your bliss is found
The majority of people
around you are full of noise. Have a listen and you will see what I mean. Our
society has become obsessed with talking on the phone regularly and always
needing to express ourselves on social media. Silence is the escape for all of us
and it’s where your bliss is found. If you do what everyone else does and
continuously make the world noisier, you will achieve the same level of success
that these noisy people achieve.
If you’re like me and
struggle to clear the noise from your day, try meditating for five minutes
multiple times throughout the day. It will help to reconnect you with the
beauty of silence and nothingness.
4.
Silence is golden – listen
People who know how to
be quiet tend to learn so much more. In an important audition, the best thing
you can do after you have performed is be quiet. In the moments of silence,
your audience’s reaction will tell you far more than words.
Listening is a skill
that so many never master. We are always talking over the top of each other out
of fear that we won’t be heard or won’t get to share our amazing knowledge.
Silence is how you be heard.
TED Public Speaking I
watched a phenomenal business presentation the other week. It was at a showcase
of the latest business ideas and each team had seven minutes to present their
concept, and to convince the audience why they should invest their money.
Every presentation felt
rushed, and there were far too many people talking. After an hour, my mind was
exhausted from the lack of silence. When I thought that all hope of an
excellent presentation was lost, a young woman stood up to explain a new
software platform that would assist charities.
This young woman
understood why silence is so critical to success, and she demonstrated that
fact by taking out lots of words from her speech. She painted images of what
the world could look like and then she left silence between sentences.
Instead of being up
against the seven-minute clock, she paced herself and let the silence do the
talking for her. It’s no wonder that she impressed the audience, and it’s why I
have gone out of my way to help her career in the last two years.
5. It’s
not just the silence it’s the balance of dynamics
Silence is one thing.
The key to your success is to have a good mix between the noisy, loud moments
of your life and the silent ones. When you have a good mix of dynamics, it
creates the right level of motivation to sustain you through the ups and downs.
The dynamics in your
life create the emotion, and emotion is where it’s at. You will never be
successful unless you get good at bottling up emotion and giving it out to
people in the form of your purpose.
Comments
Post a Comment