Silence is gone. 

Well, for most of us, it is certainly almost gone.

When is the last time you sat awake in silence doing nothing--just thinking? 

If you can’t remember when, you’re not alone.
Electronics, media entertainment, social media, and the rapid speed which life often demands is crushing our think power, which is often most effective in utter silence.  This could be killing creative ideas as well, and I’m rather fearful of this for myself and for society, quite honestly.  I’ve been noticing the limited time I have to just sit and think without any distraction.  I know my experience mirrors everyone around me.

Sure, we can all count on our shower or walking the dog as think time, but these pass quickly and do not allow us time to dig deeper and allow important creative ideas to surface.  Think time normally starts as a mental to-do list, followed by a few items we analyze (worry about) to make ourselves feel better that we’ve spent some think currency on them.  Then, by some miracle, we might even spawn an idea or two.  Then it’s time to get out of the shower, get the dog back home, see what your kids need now, or get back to work.

Real, authentic think time usually ends before it truly begins.

The built-in think times we used to take for granted are far more scarce.  If you’re lucky to take a bath, something tells me you bring your favorite book or watch your iPad.  When you’re doing the chores, there are audio books, talk radio, and endless podcasts.  The bathroom—even that one-time sacred silent activity is now being invaded by your Facebook feed.

Since it seems almost impossible to do nothing in absolute silence without distraction, I’ve consciously made one crucial decision.  That mainly is, to do as few things at a time as possible.  Why?  Because it gives your brain “pseudo” think time.  Instead of listening to a podcast AND emptying the dishwasher, just empty the dishwasher.  Instead of reading a book in the bath tub, soak in silence.  Instead of jamming out to your favorite song during your commute, just drive in silence.  I know, it’s crazy.

There’s nothing wrong with combining activities because they can entertain or relax you.  Just make sure you get some silent think time. 

You don’t know when you’ll have that creative moment that drastically changes the course of your life.