As an extrovert who has always derived substantial pleasure from talking, it's only been within the last few years I've learned the wisdom of speaking less and listening more. So while I've been successful in closing my mouth, I've struggled with quieting my mind. Ever wish you could just tell that voice inside your head to just "shut the hell up" for awhile so you could really hear yourself? Ever consider what the voice would tell you if no words were spoken? For me, being silent has been about getting in touch with how I feel and making decisions from that place instead of relying on words like "should" and "have to" to influence what I do.

5 Ways to Express Your Voice without Words

1) Dance.

2) Collage.

3) Paint or draw.

4) Make love.

5) Listen.

Of course it's not always feasible to do whatever it is we feel like doing and have exactly what we want from one moment to the next, but (and this is a big but) we always have the ability to check in and ask ourselves "What's true for me at this time?" You might not always like the answer you hear, but if you're listening beyond the words the silence has important things to teach you.

One of the things that's been true for me about being silent with my writing the past three months is this...it's allowed me to be fully present to the events and experiences of my life as they were occurring. I've been a full-on participant feeling my way through both the magic and the muck instead of being a spectator thinking about how I might capture and express each moment with words. It's been equally enlightening and excruciating and it's been incredibly freeing. What might that voice of yours with no words be ready and willing to tell you? If you can be with the silence long enough, it's likely you'll be pleasantly surprised by what you hear. Listen.

Randy Pausch Silent Tribute and Talking Tribute
"What wisdom would you impart to the world if you knew it was your last chance?" Randy was a professor at Carnegie Mellon University who was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in September 2006 and told by doctors in August 2007 that he only had 3-6 months left to live. A month later, Randy gave a talk entitled "The Last Lecture" that has been seen by millions of people on the internet. He recently passed away and these two short videos are tributes to a life well-lived in only forty-seven years. Watch them and then be sure to Google "The Last Lecture" and watch Randy's inspirational presentation.

The month of June was dedicated to the launching of Beach Dance. Fifteen dancers congregated on the shores of Cannon Beach and while photographs and film footage was taken, we danced together in the sand, surf and a bit of sun. It was an incredible shared experience of music and movement in nature. There have already been six events this summer and there are several more this month and next. Check out the remaining dates and come to Cannon Beach for some beach dancing fun.

July had me traveling here and there and everywhere. I spent the Fourth of July weekend in Stockbridge, Massachusetts at Kripalu where I had the honor and pleasure of being Jennifer Louden's assistant at her Luscious and Creative Women's Retreat.

Next on the travel itinerary was to have been a week at Esalen but unfortunately, plans were changed at the last minute due to the terrible fires in Big Sur, California. Rather than scrap my vacation, I rented a small studio in Sausalito with my friend and business partner, Elia Seely and together, we created a dancing retreat of our own. We attended a variety of free-form dancing events throughout the San Francisco Bay Area and had the opportunity to meet several amazing folks who are making a huge difference in the realm of dance and play. We became big fans of a yummy restaurant and instant friends with Conscious Dancer magazine founders, Aspen and Mark. In fact, Elia and I will have an article about our California dancing adventures in an upcoming issue of the magazine. Very cool dance connections are being made all over the place.

I've provided a link in a previous newsletter to this guy's website and after seeing his new video of his latest adventures, it's worth having another look. His silly dance will put a smile on your face and just might inspire you to get outdoors and create your own ridiculous rhythm to music. Matt's Back.

Care to share what these questions stir up in you?

Send me an e-mail. I welcome your thoughts and will respond to all e-mails received.

~Playful Spirit Productions' mission is to inspire people to show up, be real and play big in life.~