Shhhhh?

Like enough of the noise awready! Geesh, people?

No, I'm not talking about the sometimes nearly overwhelming noise pollution that goes hand in hand with living in a big city. Traffic sounds, horns, sirens, airplanes, construction noises. I'm not even referring to the eardrum-shattering volume of the concert and bar bands ? or the door-vibrating music coming from our kid's rooms. Not even the irritating boom bass enlarging the size of the cracks on the car's windshield next to us at the stoplight.

Yeah, the noise is bad and it seems like it's getting worse. Sometimes I think about the warm, quite summer evenings from my younger days back on the farm when all there was to listen to was the crickets, a few frogs and maybe once in a while a coyote or two howling off in the distance. And I wonder, considering how the db level has skyrocketed over the past several years, why the heck I didn't have the foresight to go into audiology instead of adult education. There are fortunes to be made in that career field. So who knew??

But that's not the kind of noise that concerns me most. The one that really bothers me ? and makes me wonder just where the heck we humans are headed are the noises that are blasting out of our mouths.

YOU #@*&% IDIOT ? WHERE'D YOU LEARN HOW TO DRIVE!!? I WANT TO SEE YOUR MANAGER ? AND I MEAN NOW!!! WOULD YOU GET YOUR FAT REAR OUTTA THE WAY!!? IF YOU DON'T CLEAN UP ALL THE CRAP IN YOUR ROOM, YOUR BUTT'S GROUNDED!!! WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN!!? JUST WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE!!? DO I LOOK LIKE YOUR #&%@* SLAVE!!? WHERE'S MY #%&@* KEYS!!?

Whew!

We've all heard it. On the streets, in the stores, at the ball games, on the playground, next door. And let's admit it. Almost every one of us at one time or another in our lives has "let it fly". Unfortunately, for too many of us, this kind of communication ? this personalized air pollution ? has become a way of life. It's what we do. It's the way we are. I've even heard people describe high volume spousal relationships as "just their way of communicating and letting off steam".

Houston, we have a problem!

One of the problems of course, is that as our volume increases the quality of our communications slides right into the crapper. Most folks normally react to shouting by implementing their most comfortable defensive action which is usually shouting right back. It becomes a "loud" contest. For sure, nobody's listening.

And if that weren't bad enough, it's unfortunately fairly common for this type of confrontation to deteriorate even further into physical altercations with frequently disastrous results. First we say it, then we do it. Grabbing, slapping, punching, pushing? The self control has vaporized and we revert to our basic animal instincts.

Yeah, we could overcome some of these tendencies by applying one of the common anger management techniques. Back off, cool off and give ourselves some time to re-evaluate the situation and circumstances that led up to the shouting match. It can help. But it's not the permanent solution.

And no, I realize that there's not much we can do about "society". There's not much we can do about all the pressures we experience just by living in these times. The pressures that tend to fertilize our aggravations and worries ? and our tendencies to relieve this stress by "spoutin' off". And we can't change the fact that we perhaps grew up in a confrontational, loud household ? and therefore have become programmed to act and react just like our parents did.

If we really want to though, we can change ourselves. If we're tired of the shouting or at least not thoroughly convinced that this is the best way to go through life, we can do something about it. We can change our immediate environment ? our personal world ? into a place that's a lot more comfortable to live in.

Just the realization that we don't need to live this way any longer if we don't want to is a major step in the right direction. But where do we go from there? If confrontational shouting is a life-limiting factor, the next step could be to seek professional help. A lifestyle filled with verbal, mental, emotional and physical abuse is not something we can move away from without assistance from trained helpers. There are plenty of people, organizations and support groups that are readily available to help us work our way out of our personal battlefield.

Beyond that, there are things we need to learn and experience. Part of it, I would suggest, is using the foundation concepts of personal development and self-help to gain a better understanding of our thought processes and learn the steps we can take to modify our mental/emotional programming so that we can move on to more peaceful (and productive) thinking techniques. Again, there is plenty of help and information immediately available to assist in this process ? on the Web, in countless books and articles, tapes, CD's and seminars ? and in our local communities. All it takes is just a little bit of effort to identify these resources. Start with the information contained in this site and in our books if you wish, then take it from there to find your own personal best path to a quieter lifestyle.

I would suggest too, that to complement our attempts to upgrade our thought processes, that we seriously (or light-heartedly might even work better) consider looking into connecting with our spiritual selves and whatever/whoever we consider as our spiritual leader or master teacher. Finding our own personal spiritual path or belief system can help build a solid foundation for whatever we feel we want our life to become. It's an important ingredient that is all too frequently overlooked in the developmental process. But believe me, it can make the journey one heck of a lot easier.

Where we go from here now is of course, up to each one of us individually. We can maintain and feed our chaotic, high volume lifestyle ? or we can put forth just a little effort to start the transition to a more peaceful, productive, enjoyable environment. For sure, if you happen to be one of my acquaintances or next door neighbors, I'd really appreciate it if you'd at least try! Please??

About The Author

Gene, through NuPathz.com, provides an easy reading self-help blog, articles and links along with affordable books and materials written to help folks find the road to a more enjoyable lifestyle, to pass on some of life's "secrets for survival" in a chaotic world & offer a few smiles along the way. It's a down-to-earth, simple approach to discovering a better life. You can visit Gene at http://www.nupathz.com/

gene@nupathz.com

---

Creating Happiness

Whatever we want in life, a partner, more money, good... Read More

Getting To The Root Of Unhappiness

Many people live in clutter, emotionally eat themselves into overweight,... Read More

Happiness Is A State Of Mind, Im Happy... I Think!

You have the power to attract and repel anything in... Read More

How To Live Happily Ever After

In life, many of us simply plunge ahead, only to... Read More

Joy Is Sexy

Joy is sexy because in embracing our joy, we embrace... Read More

Flow as in Flower

The seeds you sow determine the crop you reap. This... Read More

Growing Up Backwards

It seems like I set out in this life to... Read More

Creating Better Relationships

The most important achievements you can ever have in this... Read More

Poetic Romance

Romance is conveyed in so many different ways.One less commonly... Read More

Self Confidence, Happiness, and Posture

Our use of body posture plays a key role in... Read More

Having Fun with Life

It was just a few degrees shy of swimming weather... Read More

Inner Peace

Are you content and at inner peace?Or are you insecure... Read More

What The Bleep Are You So Happy About?

Could you stand to have a lot more happiness in... Read More

Mexican Living: What Makes You Happy?

Many ask me this question: "Did moving to Mexico make... Read More

Change 1 Thing Per Month - Making it Great One Step at a Time

So you're stuck in a rut, bored with how your... Read More

How Good Are You?

The demands of being a good person can sometimes mean... Read More

Guess Who Else Has a Problem With Confidence?

When I tell you what I heard you'll be able... Read More

How to Find True Happiness!

To maintain an unchangeable sweetness of disposition, to think only... Read More

Stop Sickies and Make People Happy At Work

If you're an employer or a manager then work place... Read More

Your Perfect Partner

A woman we'll call "Jane" thought she was a great... Read More

10 Ways to Bring Meaning to Your Life

My life always appears to be so hectic. It's as... Read More

In Pursuit of Happiness

In pursuit of happiness, what will we do as women?... Read More

How To Achieve Absolute Happiness

Everyone wants to be happy. When you decide to be... Read More

Life Purpose: How To Be in Love with Life

Falling In Love with LifeThere is no feeling in the... Read More

Making Peace With Sloth: The Value of Natural Pace

Though his racing speed is a maximum 6 feet per... Read More

Increase Your Happiness - Look Forward With Hindsight

Six months ago you had trouble finding your keys and... Read More

Shhhhh?

Like enough of the noise awready! Geesh, people?No, I'm not... Read More

About Happiness and Fulfillment

During a FULFILLMENT seminar, at the University of Arizona for... Read More

Happiness Is Truly M.A.G.I.C.A.L. (TM)

The year is almost half over. Many of us are... Read More

Do You Love Yourelf?

Learning to love yourself isn't easy - especially if you... Read More

Free Tips To Improve Self Confidence

1. DRUNK!At the age of sixteen I was invited out... Read More

Simple Pleasures: Ingredients to Feed Your Spirit.

"When we do something we love, again and again, our... Read More

The Science of Laughter

The title I chose for this article makes me smile.... Read More