Bonnie Barnard
Bonnie Barnard
May 9, 2013
Bonnie Barnard, 51, has always enjoyed silence. When she was a child, her pursuit of alone time and inner quiet led her to gardening. She vividly remembers planting radish seeds in the garden she and her father created together. She was only 5 years old at the time, but Bonnie already knew what was to become her greatest life lesson.
“Have silence every day,” she said.
Bonnie grew up, and as she did her pursuit of silence changed. She became an ordained minister and took up meditation. Quiet times were woven into the fabric of her life and her ministry; these undistracted moments became the foundation of Bonnie’s connection with her soul and the eternal.
And then one day, in 2009, Bonnie felt herself called to more than just occasional quiet times. She was summoned by God to 3 years of silence.
“I took time off from my ministry and spent 2009, 2010, and 2011 being silent,” she said. “I invested about 10 hours a day into quiet time. I journaled. I meditated. I swam in my pool. I had grown up in a household where I didn’t feel loved, or understood, or protected. I had a lot of wounds. During those 3 years of silence I had the experience of healing those wounds and re-learning what love was. Who I am in the world now is so different than who I was before. Because of those 3 years, I come from a place of wholeness, instead of woundedness. And that’s very powerful. I can now bring to the world the love that was missing from my life before because I found it in myself. Silence can do that. It can be a gateway to bringing forth amazing things because it forces you to listen.”
Bonnie encourages other people to bring periods of silence to their days, for healing and growth. But she doesn’t recommend years-long stints of silence like she experienced.
“I don’t recommend 3 years of silence to other people,” she said. “That length of time really takes a special calling. It’s not for everyone.”
According to Bonnie, as little as 3 minutes of silence a day can change your life.
“Seek out that undistracted, uninterrupted quiet time every day,” she said. “Even 3 minutes. Our culture is so noisy. We have tv’s on in every room and music playing all the time. There is constant interference. You need silence to touch a part of yourself that’s deeper, not superficial. When you do that, the quality of the day is so much richer and more substantial.”
So shut off the tv and the radio. Go into a room by yourself. For 3 minutes, I dare you to be totally, completely silent. It’s harder than it sounds. And if all else fails, plant a garden.
Things you can do:
-Follow the challenge today and have your 3 minutes of silence.
-Make a goal to have 3 minutes of silence every day this week.
-Plan a weekend silent retreat. Search for a meditation center near you that offers this kind of programming.
Connect with Bonnie:
-For more Bonnie-inspired wisdom, visit her web site: www.bonniebarnard.com