Kweku’s Korner
By Dr. Kweku Akyirefi Amoasi
Kweku Akyirefi Amoasi, formerly known as Ramel Smith
I was once told the best quality about a cup is its emptiness. Not its size. Not its color. Not its handle. Not its special design. But the emptiness. It’s the hollow part that makes the cup useful. If it’s empty, it can be filled. But it must be truly empty. The hollow part cannot be partially filled with another substance or have the residue of past dirt— not even a little bit, as it contaminates the new substance.
Silence is like the emptiness of the cup. The sages from time of antiquity tell us that it is hard to pour into a cup that is already full. One can no more pour into a full cup than one can pour words of wisdom into a mind flooded with noise. Noise manifests itself in many ways, both external and internal. Distractions are noise. Trials and Tribulations are noise. Too many voices are noise. Our own insecurities and inner doubts, and fears are noise.
The key is to find silence; then to listen to that still voice. And finally execute! Silence does not mean quiet, per se. One can find silence in the absence of noise or in the middle of chaos. Silence is to be at peace even in the midst of chaos. Silence is to be content even in the midst of uncertainty. Silence is rooted in self-acceptance, self-love, and self-efficacy.
To listen in silence is to listen despite what the masses may voice. To listen in silence is to hear the voice of reason over the voice of doubt and fear. To listen in silence is to listen free of the former chains of archaic, arbitrary rules that previously paralyzed us.
To execute is to act without hesitation. Once we know what to do, there is no reason for doubt and delay. Consider when someone asks you a question, but you literally cannot hear. You kindly ask the person to repeat the question. Once you hear it clearly, you respond. So, it is the same when we seek questions on a higher plane. The ancient axiom states, “When the student is ready, the teacher will appear.” The second half of that quote is even more salient. It states, “when the student is really ready, the teacher disappears.”
This lets us know that guides and teachers are good and necessary when the noise is too heavy for us to ignore. However, when we silence the noise, our connection to the divine intelligence allows us to hear directly. It’s a Bruce LeRoy epiphany, you recognize that the master was only a guide until you can find the master within.
Conclusion: Stay empty. Listen in silence. Execute your divine directive without delay.