Hearing

"You know that ringing sound that you will perceive when you are in a very quiet area? Some people say this is an auditory-illusion brought about the ear’s inability to detect frequencies below the threshold of the human senses. This is completely wrong. That ringing covers up something else altogether. If you are quick, patient, and maybe a little lucky, you will be able to hear past the ringing. What you will hear are voices whispering to each other. They will silence themselves quickly but with practice, you will become more adept at catching and interpreting what they are saying. You will hear things of the past, the present, and the future.

And when you start noticing them, they will start noticing you."

I found this little nugget of wisdom on the internet the other day, and I liked it so much the I wanted to discuss it with all of you. This is something that I've been thinking about a lot lately. The author of that piece was focusing on music and voices, but I want to apply it to listening.

Now a days, it seems like everyone is rushing through life, never really paying attention to anything. They say that they are observant, but in reality, they don't notice anything. For example, they never hear the Earth breathe. If you have ever heard it, you might not have known what to call it, but you know the feeling. It's when the breeze flows through the trees, and makes a simple, beautiful harmony with itself. It's when a falling leaf hypnotizes you through its random, erratic motion. It's the power and majesty of a mountain, stretching its grand heights to the sky.

You might say, "What does this have to do with hearing?" Well, if you stop listening, and start hearing, then you will notice that every natural thing has a distinct noise (a song, if you will). All of these songs combine to create the world's most perfect symphony, but most people are in too much of a hurry to actually hear this harmony. They listen, and they just notice the individual noises, they can't notice how they combine.

This also relates to our creation of traditional music. When we sing, our hearts connect with this natural symphony on an instinctual level. Unless we consciously think about it, we will never even notice this connection. When we create music, our hearts tap into the inspiration of the Earth's breath, and it brings forth what it heard there. When we breathe with the Earth, we breathe with the entire human race.

My challenge for you this week is simple, yet hard. I want you to stop listening, and start hearing. I want you to hear the Earth breathing, and I want you to learn the little secrets she wants to share with you.

Thanks for reading, and have an awesome day!