Lead A Quiet Life

the-quieter-you-become-the-more-you-can-hear-ram-dass

I am, and have always been a very quiet person except around those I’m very close to. To most who know me, it’s very clear that I’m an introvert. Since I’ve been doing more with the blog I’ve had to be more social, and it’s something I have to work hard at. Our house is usually quiet aside from obvious noise, or the occasional music. In day-to-day conversation I strive to listen more than I speak, especially when it comes to Aiden. Volume aside, I do prefer to lead a quiet life as well.

As a photographer, I’m a natural observer. I search for little clues that tell me more about my subject, and I find that it often spreads to other areas of my life. It helps me to be more intuitive when meeting people, having conversations, or even when dealing with my own children. You would be amazed at the amount of information people give away without saying a single word.

Keep a quiet home. It’s very rare that I am drawn to bright colors or flashy things. While I do enjoy a nice print from time to time, I feel more relaxed and at home in a neutral color palette. I prefer texture over color. Most of our furnishings have clean lines, and I try to keep spaces clutter-free (haha!). I generally follow the same rules with my closet as well, but I’ll save that for a later post this week.

I notice that so many people rush in life. We’re guilty of getting caught up in the hustle and bustle too, but try not to. Except for our travels during school breaks, our schedules are flexible. We don’t enroll the kids in many seasonal activities and try not to attempt more than one task per day. We make it a point to eat dinner together every night. Most of the work I do on this blog are at night when the kids are asleep. While some of these things I feel like we need to work on, we really do enjoy our down time and ability to decide what to do.

I find that we are all more happy when we are intentional with our time and sincere in our conversation with others.

Do you do anything to live a more slow or quiet life? Do you have any tips or advice to add?

From our trip to Seacliff Beach in Aptos, California.
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Responses to “Lead A Quiet Life”

  1. My husband and I make it a point to eat dinner together most nights and will turn off the TV and sit at our kitchen counter together, without our phones. It’s so simple, but a perfect time to take a few minutes away from everything else and just enjoy the food and company.

  2. This post is so sweet! It’s hard for me to think you’re an introvert – probably because we’re both one and we’re both comfortable around each other to chat a lot one-on-one.

    Side note, as for decorating, I’m slowly learning how to decorate nicely with not just colour (since I’m “afraid” of it, in the house) and more with texture. I’ve said it already this weekend, but you’re so very inspiring to me. So glad to call you a friend.

    Ahh ok ok too mushy.

  3. Jesscia I really loved reading this! wise words 😉

  4. I am a complete introvert, which is why I am so passionate about blogging, it allows me to control how much I am out there and I can pull back if needed. I have to do a lot of events as well and I run social media professionally for a brand, so that is a pretty out there role, but my nights and weekends when I don’t have those obligations are very, very quiet and I rarely even listen to music. I always have to recharge which I think is extremely important, rather vital for introverts.

  5. Love this post! Ever since I became a SAHM, my life became much slower and much quieter. I really love that I get the time to enjoy those moments I might have missed before when I was all about hustle and bustle:)

  6. your photos and content are always so fantastic!

  7. Angelic Sinova

    I LOVE that quote! Sometimes it’s the little things in life that are worth the most! Your photos are always so lovely <3

  8. I would love to live a more slow/quiet life. I just need more time to get it all done.

  9. I’d love to live a quieter, slower pace life…but not sure I have it in me. Southern California has such a fast paced feel to it.

  10. I desperately need to work on this, thanks for the gentle reminder!

  11. I love that quote! Pinned it. 🙂 Funny, I consider myself an introvert, too, but I’m very drawn to color and the layering of textures and colors.

  12. Amen to all the above and I completely agree. I think people think our not so busy life is wasting it, and I beg to differ. Great post!

  13. This is really interesting. I come from a very loud family. There are 6 of us, so we’d always talk over each other to get ourselves heard. On the other hand we’d always have dinner together and when I have kids I will make a point of doing the same. Meal times would always consist of everyone around the table with the candles lit explaining what we’d done that day.

    I need to try harder to listen more and remember things!

    Katie <3

  14. While I enjoy listening to music, sometimes I like to drive or work and just have it be quiet. Just the other day my boyfriend thought it was strange that I wanted to not listen to music in the car. Now it makes more sense! I’m definitely an introverted person and sometimes I just need some quiet to relax and recharge.

  15. My life is very hectic and I do need to slow down a little. This post reminds me of that.

  16. I could use some help with slowing my life down. I needed this reminder!

  17. My life can be hectic but I always find a quite time everyday. I always have to download the craziness in my heard.

  18. I really need to work on slowing things down. Thanks for the nudge!

  19. I am like you where I am a quiet person except for the people that I am closest to. I like to do things at a more and relax/slower pace but on the other hand I always like to be doing something and to be kept busy. My favorite thing though is to lay in bed or on the coach with the windows open and candles burning just laying with my dogs and boyfriend 🙂

  20. I go back and forth between being an introvert and an extrovert. At home I can be loud around my husband and daughter but around others I’m quiet. My husband is an introvert and we raised a total extrovert.

  21. I loooove people watching. You can learn so much by being a little quiet and just watching everyone else. I have to say I am pretty outgoing, but mostly around people I know well….

  22. Love the message (and also love the hat photo included at the end- it’s one of my very favorites from your blog!! I TOTALLY remember it!!)

  23. I absolutely love that quote. I am trying to spend more quiet time with my family just enjoying each other’s company.

  24. I have to remind myself to be silent. When I get nervous I talk, but you learn so much more about other and yourself when you just listen.

  25. Great quote! I have to say I’m half and half…it honestly depends on my mood. sometimes i can just strike up conversations with people I don’t know and chit chat for the longest times. Sometimes I just enjoy the quiet and don’t want to be around a lot of people, or talk on the phone…I just want to be some place quiet where I can just be and read for hours upon hours on end.

  26. Ii really enjoyed this post. A quiet life for me is a simple one. Some what difficult with 3 kids at home. Lol. Thanks for the inspiration.

    1. I think one day you’ll find your groove and then you will be able to just sit back and smile. 🙂

  27. I am very introverted and have tried really hard to push myself to be more social. To meet new people and expand my horizons. But am quite happy in my quiet little bubble. 😀

  28. I am very introverted, and although I do love anime and video games, I don’t play every day. Actually, unless my husband is home, the tv is usually off and it’s quiet. I also try (try I say) to disconnect from the internet once in a while to decompress.

  29. I’m a mixedtrovert. I have introvert days that need to be extroverted to recharge me and extrovert days that require an introverted weekend to recharge. It’s a complicated scenario. 🙂 I love to read a good book under a nice shade tree and listen to the river nearby. That is my favorite form of solitude.

    1. Ha! I haven’t heard of that before. It makes sense though. 🙂

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