Silence often reveals whether you have been living intentionally or reactively.

Reactive living is invisible while it is happening. Each day is a reasonable response to what came up, and only in the quiet does the question of whether any of it was chosen become askable. The silence does not create the problem; it removes the constant stimulus that kept the question from forming.

Take stock in a quiet hour rather than a busy one. Ask what in the past month you actually chose and what simply happened to you. If the second list is much longer, pick one thing for the coming month that will be yours, and put it in the calendar first.