The world is full of noise. Sometimes, we are caught up in the idea that the “squeaky wheel gets the grease, “or that our success depends solely upon how noisy we can be. This is the furthest from the truth. In actuality, there is a lot about silence that is not only helpful but even critical to your success.

Silence is Personal

In music, there is a saying that says the key to creating emotion during a piece is to create silence between the notes. It is in that silence that your listener will have time to process what they are hearing and make a connection.

Silence in life is the same. If we are always busy loudly telling others how great we are, we never give them a chance to see it on their own. The silent, persistent relationship you build with someone will mean more to them than all of the fantastic stories of success you can tell them down the road. This is true not only of friends and significant others, but of co-workers and employers, as well.

Silence is Golden

Only the silent can truly listen. If you are busy making noise about yourself, you can’t possibly have time to notice that there are others around you who are doing great things, too. If you don’t notice them, you can’t learn from them.

The ability to listen and absorb is one of the things that separate those of us who can be great leaders from the rest of the pack.

Silence is Escape

Sometimes, sound in general can be overwhelming. Between the sound of co-workers chatting, phones ringing, machinery, or what have you, it’s not uncommon for any of us to need just a few minutes of quiet for ourselves.

We all have those co-workers that are too loud for us. The ones who seem to talk too loudly on the phone or seem to just be always talking, those that stomp a little heavier, or cough a little more often?

Sometimes, being the quiet co-worker means being the appreciated co-worker.

Silence is Loud

While it might not always seem so, the most valued employees in the work place generally aren’t those that are always tooting their own horns or talking about their success. Rather, they are the ones that keep their noses to the grindstone, doing the best work they can without the need for high praise or accolades.

Think for a moment about your co-workers. If you were in a mess, who would you most likely turn to? The one who would turn this into an opportunity to tell others they outperform you or the one that would simply help you get the task done with the understanding that you are working toward the same goal?

Silence is Dynamic

Every workplace needs variety to thrive. If we all ticked the same way, we’d not have anyone to rely on for different perspectives when a job felt too big for us. Just as you will sometimes have to rely on the loud, they will need to rely on you, sometime, too.

Success is Silent

Success can not come without contentment, and those who are not content will make the most noise trying to convince others (and themselves) of their success. If you are ever going to be truly successful, you have to first gain the ability to be okay with your own silence. Not only do we thrive from a decreased need to prove ourselves to others, but we also show those around us that we are secure in our skin.