Where is Your Mute Button?

Friends!

Again, thank you for the engaging conversations around the value of soft matters in general and CARE in particular after last week's post. Obviously, our country has engaged in a tremendous amount of debate and discussion after Biden announced his Family Plan this past week. I am not picking sides here and have respect for both the enthusiasm and concerns of the scale and scope of what is being proposed. Regardless of the outcome, the very recognition of the critical value and importance of care indicates a shift in the directionality of our policy at large, one that I believe is both necessary and promising. However, I also recognize the value and importance of debating and fine-tuning the specificity of these solutions.

This week, I will be short. On purpose, nonetheless. If you typically read the entire newsletter, including some links, I wish to give you a few minutes back. But here’s the catch - I want you to use that extra time to literally go on mute.

In our new digital lives, we spend a lot of time clicking on the mute button. Some find it easier than others; it’s second nature. It's quite annoying to be on a call when someone is NOT on mute and creates a lot of noise. Isn't it? And, of course, there’s always the converse when we have to remind someone trying to make a point that "you are on mute." Been there. Done that.

Over the course of this week, I reflected on the beauty and power of the mute button as a metaphor. Don't you wish in some situations that more people would press mute?

I often remind myself that we have two ears and one mouth. Certainly, that must be a strong hint from our biology that we are supposed to listen twice as much as we speak. Most don't. And when people listen, it is in a limited capacity. It's like we are continuously partially aware engaged in multiple conversations simultaneously. Either inside our own mind preparing for what to say next or reading emails, responding to texts, or just spacing out. Guilty as charged!

Where is your mute button in life, broadly speaking? What are your sanctuaries where you can go and be quiet? To still your inner voice and just reconnect with the soul of your being? I think the mute button is a powerful tool and we could all do a better job of hitting it more often.

I have discussed meditation and breathing before. Primarily in this post. I will for sure go deeper on breathing in coming posts. It's so incredibly important. But there are many other forms of "mute buttons."

I have a standing desk. Just switching from sitting to standing during the day is like a "micromute." It breaks things up.

Saunas are a favorite part of my mute routine. So is a cold shower or a plunge. In the warmer months, taking a morning dip in Lake Michigan is a particular thrill of mine.

Going for a walk and embracing the beauty of a tree, the ocean, or the sky is a great mute. A workout class, a run, or yoga sessions are great, too.

Music is of course the greatest paradoxical mute. It isn’t silence but somehow it is silence for the mind, body, and spirit. To me, there is almost a mystic connection between the harmonies, melodies, and rhythms to the flow of my inner truth.

And finally, the act of eating and savoring food is probably the best mute button we have in life. Meals are supposed to serve as real nourishment for life. In more ways than just good nutrients. They should interrupt our busyness. Offer breaks where we can reconnect to the art and beauty of sheer living, especially when we have children and family to share it with. But too often meals are functional fuel stops where we fill our bodies more than our spirits. I have so much work to do here! Those of you that know me are aware that I inhale food and often miss recognizing the beauty, gratitude, and full flavors of a meal. Working on it. Having a weekly ritual like a Sunday dinner, Shabbat dinner, weekend family brunch are all great oases in our otherwise continuous flow of activities.

So, I will hit the mute/pause button right here in an act of intentionality. Go hit yours. Sit down. Close your eyes. Take 5 slow breaths through your nose (both ways). Think about someone or something you love and just be grateful. End by putting a big smile on your face.

And then go out and have a great day!

You see....I spared you ANY links to look over this week so you can have time to mute!