Silence is a cooperative act.
10 Minutes of Hope
Gather in small groups for 10 minutes of silence. For 10 minutes no teasing, complaining, fighting, yelling, hurting, or ignoring anyone. Just stand still for 10 minutes while considering our impact on each other and how we can bring out the best in each other.
Imagine everyone in the world standing in a circle side by side looking at each other. We wouldn’t need to agree with each other. We wouldn’t need to like each other. We wouldn’t even have to approve of each other. All we would need to do is agree to stand still for 10 minutes with respect for humanity.
If you add an extra 10 minutes of silence to the world that would be very nice. If everyone reading this added an extra 10 minutes of silence to the world that would be helpful. However, if everyone in the world added just 10 minutes of silence to their life that would be
60,000,000,000 extra minutes of cooperation
1,000,000,000 extra hours of cooperation
more than 40,000,000 days of cooperation, or
more than 100,000 extra years of cooperation in our world
that started
with just 10 minutes of silence from you and me!
It wouldn’t be enough to create a world of peace but it could create the hope we need to cooperate globally and respectfully.
Guided reflection for 10 minutes of hope
You are invited to be in silence for the next 10 minutes. Please get comfortable. You may want to consider the following words.
In this space of silence, look at the people around you. Look at the clothes they are wearing, the color of their skin, and the beauty of their faces. Remember what you like about the people you know in the circle. Think about what you’d like to discover about the people you don’t know in the circle.
Imagine bringing others into this circle:
Someone you love that is not present
Someone you can’t stand that is not present
The worst person in the world
The person you most admire in the world
Imagine the clothes they are wearing, the color of their skin, and the beauty of their faces.
Look around at all the people in the circle, the ones that are present and the ones you’ve imagined. How does it feel to feel safe in their presence?
Scientists say that we can create whatever we can imagine. Maybe if we imagine cooperating with people we don’t like with just 10 minutes of silence we can collectively discover how to create a world of compassion for each of us.
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