Observing daily silence periods requires the diligent following of a process. It is not about attaining a state of thoughtlessness. That's not possible. And that's not required either. What is possible, and important, is that you can still the mind and train it to attend only to the present. And like with everything else in Life, mastering this process requires disciplined application and rigorous practice. It is only through stilling the mind, through being in the now, that you learn the art of being happy despite the circumstances.