Sacrificing My Silence

Wahoo! I’ve caught up with the rest of the Tracking Wonder pack! Today’s Quest prompt is from Scott Barry Kaufman. He’s asking a doozy, especially for a girl like me with her head in the mythology clouds.

What is one major personal sacrifice you are willing to make this year in the service of the greater good?

A sacrifice is an act of offering something valuable to the divine. In ancient times that could mean food, livestock, or a loved one. In some cultures it meant offering up the life of the King himself.

I often sacrifice money to the greater good. I don’t mind living simply to be able to give to others. This is a gift of something of value to the larger will of the order and chaos of the universe.  That’s not going to cut it, I think. Not given the prompt above.

What I Value

In order for the sacrifice to have meaning, for it to be worthwhile to the gods, it has to be deeply valuable to me.

I value lack of conflict. I value peace. I value my inner sanctuary of weird little thoughts being protected from the critical eye of the outside world.

I value my silence.

I feel a little like Gollum muttering “preciousssss” over the Ring when I think about sharing my inner world.

What Do the Gods Want With My Words?

In the past month, I’ve had more than one person respond to my vulnerability with messages of relief. Every time I break my silence, I heal someone. I create new connections.

I’ve long thought that the only thing we can really do in this world is show up and be as wholly ourselves as possible. Reciprocate inspiration. That’s all.

That means I no longer get to hoard my thoughts and feelings. It’s time to speak.