Why Quietness Isn’t Just For Introverts
Delightfully Imperfective Ways to Cultivate Stillness, Silence, and Solitude
“In our culture, we tend to gather information in ways that do not work very well when the source is the human soul: the soul is not responsive to subpoenas or cross-examinations.
At best it will stand in the dock only long enough to plead the Fifth Amendment. At worst it will jump bail and never be heard from again. The soul speaks its truth only under quiet, inviting, and trustworthy conditions.”
—Parker J. Palmer, A Hidden Wholeness
Hi Soul Minimalist!
If Parker Palmer is right (OF COURSE HE’S RIGHT WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT GET OUT OF HERE), then the soul needs quiet, inviting, and trustworthy conditions to tell her whole truth.
Who will create these spaces for us? How can we find quiet, inviting, and trustworthy conditions in the midst of (wild-hand-waving) all this?
Soul minimalism is about making space so that our soul can speak. We can find partners, companions, and friends along the way who will link arms with us and cheer us on to that end, but no one will choose this work for us. Many people go their entire lives never knowing the sacred secrets their soul has to share.
Spoiler Alert: If you’re reading this, that’s not going to be your story.
Because the kind of person who would subscribe to a Substack called The Soul Minimalist is one who has already decided that clarity of thought, inner peace, and the ability to sit down on the inside deeply matters.
That’s why you’re here. But that doesn’t mean you know how to nurture these things. So that’s why I’m here. Hi!
Spiritual formation is simply the acknowledgement that none of the beautiful benefits of living life aligned with God and our true self happens by default. In order to be formed, we have to participate. Which means we are invited into practice.
One of the vital practices of the soul minimalist is quiet. I can’t find any way around it.
You don’t have to be a thoughtful introvert in order to enjoy the gifts of quiet (although the thoughtful introverts may find it comes more naturally.) The gifts of quiet are available for everyone! But they won’t look the same for all of us. The key is to find ways to engage, enjoy, and participate with quiet without changing our personality. Otherwise you’ll never do it with any regularity.
The spiritual practices of silence, stillness, and solitude can be intimidating ones, but they help us to center down and be reminded of who we actually are and what we deeply care about.
First, some definitions:
Solitude is a good way to let go of our attachment to what others think.
Silence is a good way to let go of our planning, scanning, and figuring things out.
Stillness is a good way to let go of our addiction to productivity.
Here’s how these practices look in my life:
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