It is way too easy to surround ourselves with noise.  And we try to for some reason.  I think that most people are afraid to sit in a quiet place and actually be with themselves.  Most of us don’t like to be alone nor sit in silence – left with only our thoughts.  I’m not exactly sure what we are afraid of or whether we even realize what we are doing.

People commonly go to a coffee shop or to the beach to get away and relax.  Interestingly, both places are probably louder than the place that was left.  Coffee shop with music, TV, a duo engaged in a loud conversation, machines making coffee and so on.  The beach is not all that quiet either – kids running around, waves crashing, seagulls.

Maybe America is falling behind because we are too quick to drown out thoughts with noise.  We need to create quiet times for our ourselves to stop and think – to be proactive in our thinking rather than reactive.

I’ve found that the best thoughts that I have come when things are quiet.  It is at times uncomfortable.  However, as I sit and let my mind scan through the past, present, and future events or to various other ideas that come in and out of my mind, I seem to come away with golden nuggets of wisdom (hold your laughter or applause). This wisdom has had dramatic and profound impact on my life of late, allowing me to realize how powerful silence actually is.

Between running a company and parenting two children, there are not many windows of quiet.  Although, I’ve found that riding in my car has become my place to stop and reflect, to plan and to think.  Turn the radio off, put the cell phone away and drive.  Whatever your flavor, find some time to regularly turn up the quiet.