Anyone who knows me knows that silence is NOT one of my virtues. Trying to be more positive, I have been given the gift of communication. Yet, in our Bible study on The Disciplines, silence is one of the necessary disciplines to master to become closer to God. It's not just silence when you are in the Word or praying--no, it's the discipline of knowing WHEN to be silent. This has always been a challenge to me.
We learned about metacognition in graduate school, thinking about thinking. Seems redundant but it's not, especially when learning when it is better to listen than talk. I made a Soul Collage card to remind me of this lesson. The frog is my companion to my throat chakra, communication. The bear has me treed, it has control over my mouth, too frequently. So, when I am poised to speak in haste or anger, I will remember this card and practice the Discipline of Silence.