During the 2015 Tuskegee University commencement speech given by the first lady of the United States of America, Michelle Obama shared that she and Barack Obama had been ridiculed and criticized by others regarding the issues they had chosen to support and promote. In addition, people often refused to refer to her as the first lady, but instead as Obama’s baby mama and on a magazine cover, she was drawn with a afro and a machine gun. She questioned how people were really seeing her as a first lady. Following her speech, the media focused more on the racial issues she shared in her speech rather than the true essence of her message. Her message wasn’t about racial issues, it was a universal message which was relatable to everyone regardless of gender, race, or religious orientation. It was about not paying attention to the “noise” around you. It was about not being shaken or moved by the negative perception people have of you. In a society that often focuses and is driven by images on social media that influences how we should be living our lives, it is easy to get tugged into the whirlpool of societies perception of what’s attractive and popular. It is the goal of the therapist’s corner blog to encourage, empower, and inspire it’s readers to face their fears, overcome obstacles, and reach their personal goals. I wanted to briefly share that similar to what Michelle Obama was addressing, often we allow the people around us to depict and determine the outcome of our lives . It is the “noise” around us that distracts us from discovering all that is designed for us. Noise can be defined as any unwanted sound that may cause a disturbance. It’s intended to be a distraction.
Unlike noise, it is in the quiet times with myself that I discovered new ideas, planned new projects, and most importantly examine/challenge my intrapersonal intelligence. It is during these times that I realized what was real, true, and pure ALWAYS comes in the form of a whisper or in silence. It is in these moments that I always found the answers to any problems. Even in counseling, therapist encourage silence in sessions. There is power in silence. Silence allows the exploration of deep thoughts and feelings. During this time feelings and emotions can be experienced in depth and in its complete form. In daily life we often respond to situations without truly thinking or having the opportunity to really address or recognize the feelings associated with the situation. We often formulate what we plan to say in response instead of truly listening first. We are instead guided by rushing emotions and thoughts (noise) within. If you listen to noise you will always miss what’s important .
If you have ever lived near a train track. You will notice that once your use to it, it’s easier to ignore. Overtime you learn to subconsciously altered your focus. You have to learn to have a similar focus in life. To help my readers remember the importance of silence, I want to leave you with some key points that will help you to remember to focus less on the noise and more on your goals and dreams in life.
As I mentioned earlier the truth comes in a whisper or silence . Therefore to help you to remember to tune out the noise I will leave you with a acronym for silence.
S -Stand strong….and stay in faith . Nothing worth having will come easy. And if it’s easy it’s not worth having. Great things are never formed in comfort and we all know pressure makes diamonds.
I- Inspiration is what fuels passion. Passion is what guides you in the direction of your dreams and aspirations. Do not be afraid to dream.
L-Live in the moment but dream in the future.
Happy people live in the moment but are sure to focus and work toward their dreams, aspirations, and goals . They don’t get caught up in the future. What is for you , is always for you. You don’t have to worry or become apart of the noise around you to achieve all that you desire. It’s already destined.
E- Enjoy life ! Enjoy the experiencing new things and all life has to offer. Life grants you the opportunity to try new things and if you fail, the true test is what you do after what is done. It’s how you recover in the time of defeat.
N- Never give up! The race is not given to the swift but to those that endure to the end.
C – Cultivate…..Build & develop your talents. Always strive to be better than you were yesterday.
E- Excellence ……People will try to convince you that mediocrity is ok. They will wrap it up and present it in the most attractive manner. We are given the ability to shine and share our gifts with others. Therefore, always strive to be your best .
In closing, just remember…..It is in those silent moments and whispers of life that great things are discovered . Best wishes to you all and I expect nothing but greatness from each of you.
PLEASE VISIT AGAIN!
Dr. J
Jerrilyn, this is a beautiful post and I’m sorry that you are no longer blogging. The world needs your voice now more than ever.
Thanks so much for those beautiful words. As you can see I have checked my blog post in a while, therefore I apologize for the superlate response. My goal this year is to get back into blogging some.