Silence to Reassess

The more time goes by, the more I realise that even in life our daily activities are subject to trends. Cooking, going to a CrossFit class, adopting trees halfway across the planet or spending holidays in ecotourism establishments are currently all the rage, while other trends seem to have faded into oblivion.

One of these is silence. In a world where everyone is rushing towards obsessive and ever-faster communication, staying silent seems almost like a form of social dysfunction. Yet managing to pause your own outpourings and remaining quietly on the sidelines isn’t a sign of shutting others out—quite the opposite. It helps you reflect, analyse and evaluate people and situations, allowing you to notice what is truly happening around you and genuinely listen to what others are saying, with words and more. Silence is the essential medium for processing the less superficial meanings of reality, allowing you to really immerse yourself without being intrusive or imposing the filter of a viewpoint that’s often misaligned with objectivity.

Being silent means ‘making space’ for others, letting them express themselves, and giving a voice to thoughts, feelings, aspirations and inspirations. I often see this when working with my team. I enjoy giving inputs that steer the discussion towards the topics of the day, but then I reserve the right to hit mute and let my colleagues chime in. The result is an explosion of ideas that take shape and multiply exponentially, feeding off each other until a brilliant project comes to life. 

The same happens when I ask my family or friends how their day went at dinner. It’s a question that shows I’m all ears, and it’s all you need to fill an evening with chatter. 

With you lovely readers, it’s rather similar. Week after week, I try to offer you some tips and ideas for reflection (regarding footwear and more!). Then, I like to wait for your feedback to hear your opinions, wishes and expectations. It’s also a way to create connections without making noise in a world that's already too loud. 

 Marco