I was talking to my wife the other day. I mean, I talked to her every day. We're married,

and in the same house, after all. But I was talking to her the other day, and she asked me a question

about the long-term future. She asked what I wanted to be, not in terms of a job that I wanted

to have, but something broader, something deeper. How did I want to be able to describe my life?

I said I wanted to be quiet. And by that I didn't mean not talking. There can be talking,

but I wanted to be peaceful. I wanted to not be scampering around, having a million thoughts and

worries and anxieties pounding on me all the

time. I wanted internal quiet. A little bit of external quiet wouldn't be so bad either.

I wanted to achieve, and I'm not sure achieve is the right word here, feels competitive,

but I wanted to get to some quiet. Quiet.

It's Depression Mode. I'm John Moe. I'm glad you're here.

I had an opportunity recently to interview Susan Kane, and Susan knows a thing or two about quietness.

She's the author of the 2012 book, Quiet, The Power of Introverts in a World that Can't Stop Talking.

That book spent eight years on the New York Times bestseller list.

Susan is also the author of Bitter Sweet, How Sorrow and Longing Make Us Whole. Now Susan

Kane has a new audio series called A Quiet Life in Seven Steps, which is available on

Audubal as of this coming Thursday. I found our talk to be helpful in getting closer to this idea of living with some more peace and quiet.

I hope you'll find it helpful, too.

I have spent the last, I don't know how many years it is, 20 years now, exploring this realm

of human nature that has to do with the quiet and sensitive and bittersweet and the seeking

of depth and beauty.

And I'm just well aware of how many people there are who live on that frequency or feel

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