On presence, listening, and why we do not need to make use of every moment

When was the last time you truly listened to the world around you? To footsteps, passing voices, and conversations in public spaces, quietly and without distraction?

My habit of listening to audio content during commutes began with podcasts and audiobooks. It started on the train journeys I took regularly and soon became part of my daily routine, even while walking or cycling.

To be honest, I enjoyed the company, and I still do. Without those audio companions, I would not have discovered many books or listened to so many interesting conversations.

One day, I left home in a hurry and forgot my headphones. I did not have time to go back for them, and I felt a little regret, as though I were about to lose time that would now pass “unproductively.”

On my way to the train station, two teenage girls passed beside me, talking loudly and laughing. Their laughter suddenly caught my attention. How long had it been since I heard such pure and spontaneous joy? How long since I had truly listened to the voices and sounds of people in public places?

A couple of months ago, I attended my first group retreat. One of the conditions was to keep our phones away, with the option of checking them only at night and outside the shared social spaces. I chose not to check mine at all, and for three nights I disconnected completely.

During the retreat, we walked among the trees. One of the mindfulness exercises was simply to listen carefully to nature.

Once again, I realized that even in nature, I had been carrying my podcasts and audiobooks with me. I had been spending so much time in other worlds at the expense of the one around me.

How many simple and beautiful moments had I missed because I felt the need to fill every silence with something?

I also realized how rarely casual conversations with strangers happen to me now, whether in supermarkets, on trains, or along the street. My headphones send a clear message: “Do not disturb.”

Perhaps trying to make use of every moment is not always a gain. Sometimes, we need to leave a little space for the voice of life around us to reach us without a filter. Perhaps it is also one way of finding your way back to yourself.