Before you begin reading the rest of this post, choose a number: 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5. Remember it. It will lead you to a message at the end.
Making the best of it
Temporary Space
Since May 12, I have been working in a temporary office at work. It has windows that show me a hallway and show those in the hallway me. Some co-workers ask me how I like working in a fish bowl. Others say they would be too distracted by the activity on the other side.
Me? I decided to embrace my new space. It was temporary. It was noisy with construction going on below it. It was going to be distracting no matter what, so by the second day, I had devised a game to play and had it started by the third day that I was in the windowed “office.”
If we had only asked
Soundless Voices
The window precludes long conversations, so I had to think about how to communicate without verbalizing the messages – a soundless voice, if you will.
Soundless voices surround us on so many levels. The people we walk by every day in the hallway – ignoring them, taking them for granted. The people in our neighborhoods walking by us with their pets and their children – our hoping they don’t leave anything behind in our yards, not caring or thinking about what they might say if we had only asked.
Telling us we are worthy
Silent Love
We also have internal voices – some of them do come with sound, like the inner critic, but my intuition often gives me messages by slight twitches or twinges that I really have to pay attention to in order to receive the message. I must be silent myself to comprehend the soundless voice of wisdom that never leads me astray – if I would only always “listen” and follow its guidance.
Nature is full of silent voices also offering suggestions for living more completely, gratefully, and joyfully. We could learn a lot from trees and other plants if we would only tune in to them.
Love is often soundless, too. Parental love can be hidden behind scoldings and impatience. Offspring love can be obscured by temper tantrums and pouts. That, however, does not mean love isn’t talking to us – sometimes, it is actually love’s soundless voice telling us we are worthy.
Finding joy
Dancing
Just because people act like they are OK doesn’t mean that they are. We cannot always see others’ grief because we aren’t looking through a window of their emotions. They could be soundlessly grieving, just like we can be. We might all be wondering why no one understands us, sees us, or hears us. Maybe that’s because we aren’t using our voices that have sound. Maybe we need to learn to tune into those on the other side of the window, so they can tune into us.
No matter which side of the window you are on, you always have a choice to listen to all the voices – soundless or otherwise. You can choose which messages are actually meant for you and which ones are just distractions like construction noises coming from below.
Window Wisdom had more than 200 interactions with many people shrugging for a random message while most others chose a number for their message. Almost everyone participated when I invited them to look at the Window Wisdom sign – only two people declined to play the game. On the other hand, only one person who chose “#3: Find joy: dance” declined to dance and that was the most popular choice! One person who chose #3 now dances every time she walks by the window.
Word traveled throughout my workplace, and people purposefully came by the window to play Window Wisdom. Now, it’s your turn.
Finding your message
Punny Window Wisdom
Do you remember the number you selected at the beginning? Find your message now. #1: Breathe in love. Breathe out kindness.
#2: You are awesome sauce.
#3: Find joy: dance
#4: Be curious. Ask questions.
#5: Life is not a race. Do it at your own pace.
While being in a temporary office for more than three weeks with the ongoing construction noise was not ideal, playing Window Wisdom with others brought me so much joy. I danced with those who chose #3, and I offered random messages to those who shrugged. Shrugging people received one of eight possibilities that all played off parts of windows – I did like the chance to be punny.
The next time you are faced with looking through a window not necessarily of your choosing, may you find a way to see things from both sides.
May you also “listen” to the soundless voices in your life,
Angela Jane