Why dismissing the loudness of modern life is the key to regaining the stillness of the present

‘Breaking through the noise of our modern world poses challenges because we are constantly bombarded with information.’ Photograph: Digital Vision./Getty Images

Have you ever wondered about the unspoken moments in your life that can provide more information than a thousand words?

For example, the moment when the waiter asks you and a friend how your food was and you instinctively glance at each other and with one look you acknowledge that the fish was too salty, but reply “great, everything was great”. Or the moment in the shopping centre when you ruffle your teenage son’s hair and he squirms in embarrassment and glances at you to remind you he is no longer five years old.