The world is very fast and loud, especially at this time of year, and especially as many regions/countries are “opening up” after pandemic lockdowns. It seems to me (on the news, at least) that many people are determined to cram as much activity into their days as possible, somehow trying to make up for the slower pace of the past 6-18 months.
It’s no surprise then, living in a loud, fast world, surrounded by this frantic energy, that we often find it difficult to sit still on our own. I personally find my mind is often filled-to-bursting with a constant barrage of big and little thoughts darting everywhere, like ripples and waves washing around like the ocean, or a turbulent lake.
Over the past two years we’ve collectively spent so much time checking messages and notifications, watching for news, updates, anything to give us a sense of peace AND distract us from the pervasive uncertainty which feels both horribly unfamiliar and deeply uncomfortable.
You, like me, may have developed a “twitch” habit, feeling an unconscious need to pick up our phones dozens (hundreds?) of times each day. But we often can’t explain why we picked up our phone, and before we know it, we’re mindlessly scrolling, filling our minds with ever more news, memes, thoughts, uncertainty, fear, busy-ness, and chaos.
When our mind is busy and chaotic like this, it’s difficult to find peace or clarity in our selves.
“All men’s miseries derive from not being able to sit in a quiet room alone.”
Blaise Pascal
But here’s the true problem:
When our mind is noisy, it’s almost impossible to hear our inner wisdom, our intuition, our “muse”. And this inner wisdom, this inner knowing, is critically important to help anchor us, stabilise us, and guide us, as we navigate the uncertainty of the world, both globally and locally.
Which brings us to the importance of Quiet Time.
My firm belief is this: Unless we make a practice of sitting still, in a quiet room, alone… we will never hear our ‘muse’, and never tap into the incredible power of our intuition and inner wisdom.
(Shhhh. Our intuition whispers ever so softly.)
Quiet Time can take many forms, but primarily it’s about simply being still, not talking, turning off our TV, phone, computer, and letting our thoughts drift away like clouds – or, to use the lake analogy from earlier, letting all the ripples become calm and still, so our mind has the clarity of that photo at the top of this email.
By choosing to enjoy some Quiet Time – removing external stimuli – we give our subconscious the chance to work on the challenges we face. This stillness lets our brain start making new connections, and it gives rise to insights, “A-Ha!” moments, and creative downloads that aren’t normally available when we’re “plugged-in” to the dinging, beeping, buzzing flood of messages, news, and notifications.
I released a podcast episode about this much earlier this year, but as we approach Xmas and New Year’s, I’ve decided to “Revisit” some of my earlier episodes, and republish the most popular episodes that I feel are particularly relevant at this end of the year. (Listen to “Quiet Time” here.)
But there’s another reason I chose “Quiet Time” as the theme of this article. I’m really excited and proud to announce that I’ve just published my very first guided meditation on Insight Timer. It’s called Calm Lake Meditation, and you can listen for free on the Insight Timer meditation app.
So the questions I want to leave you with are:
- How can you incorporate some Quiet Time into your life over the next month?
and - What would be possible for you when you give your intuition and inner wisdom the space and time and quiet to speak to you?
I’m sending you all the love, gratitude, and peace as we approach the end of 2021 and the “silly season” of holidays, family gatherings, Xmas shopping, and end of year parties and celebrations.
May you live with ease,
Israel. xo