One of my goals this month was to go for a day without talking. I mostly accomplished that goal, only slipping up a few times. (Oops!) Here are some things that I noticed during that time of self-induced silence.
1) I’m funny.
I use my voice to have fun and relate to people through humor. Life without my voice definitely wasn’t as fun as usual. The isolation made me restless and even lonely at times. I really value relating to people and connecting with them. Especially through funniness.
2) But not that funny…
Most of the things I wanted to say were quick, little one-line responses to other people’s comments or my surroundings. There were lots of times when my reaction was to imitate. Sure, that can be funny at times, but it can also be annoying or offensive. I want to be more sensitive about the potential effect of my verbal reactions.
3) Good friendships don’t rely on words.
At first I felt like I was being rude by not talking to people. Some people figured out what was going on very early in the day while others didn’t find out til much later. This showed me which people I tend to spend more time with. I could still communicate and even joke with some of my closer friends. It’s good to have those kinds of friendships where you don’t even need to use words to connect with each other.
4) You look nice today.
I use my voice to show affection and appreciation. There were times when I wanted to say something nice to someone but couldn’t. Uplifting people is a mutually satisfying way to relate with them.
5) Time to get serious.
I let other people drive conversations. I feel like I am more of a reactor than an initiator when it comes to conversation. I want to practice participating in and even initiating more serious conversations.
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So now that I’ve completed a day of not talking to anyone, my next goal will be to complete a day without listening to anyone. (Just kidding.)
