Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: Noise

Silence. It's something I don't even know I'm missing until the noise is gone. Life is full of noises and distractions. Some are unavoidable and others are self-induced. You know what I mean? Why do we make ourselves so busy? Why do we find it so hard to manage our lives in a way that would bring peace to self and those around us? Having two little boys and being immersed in the business of life, finding silence was a wonderful and unexpected gift that I received over the past several weeks. Here's how:

bike riding

fishing here

(off my sister's dock with the boys and zero boats around)

kayaking around these cliffs with my husband

taking it all in while my husband drove with both boys asleep in back

walking along the beach and talking to God (gulf shores)

I hope to incorporate more silence into my days as the summer progresses. I'm thinking hammocks, reading, afternoon quiet times and the like. I think it will take more discipline than I expect. How do you reduce the noise in your daily life? If you haven't thought about it in a while, I hope you'll take some time to do so. xo