Last Tuesday I went to my weekly women’s workout and Bible study group. One of the ideas we touched on during our study was how important quiet time is. Whether it’s quiet time to meditate on the blessings you have, come up with a priority list for the next day, dream your dreams, or analyze relationships or circumstances in your life, it is an important facet of our daily living that is slowly sucked away by all the noise surrounding us. What do I mean by noise? Ah, the list is terribly long, but here are just a few key examples: any form of entertainment (TV, movies, music, games, books, radio, etc.); busyness (a.k.a workaholic); relationships (always feeling the need to be around people, cannot be by oneself). Now, I’m not saying that these things are innately horrible; however, they must be taken in good measure. Unfortunately, we live in a society where being plugged in 24/7 is encouraged and is possible with all the resources we have.

We need to find a way to use these wonderful resources responsibly by balancing them out with the too-important habit of thinking. Can we think for ourselves? Or are we so scared of thinking because we don’t want to face the truth, the problems we have to deal with? Or are we to lazy to think because it is easier to be told what to think?

Truth be told, I need to practice this more often. When I do have quiet times, they usually happen in the car with the radio turned off. I take the time to be thankful for my life, to come up with story ideas or details for publicity/ marketing, to think how I can help friends in tricky situations. Silence is necessary to make good judgment calls and to remember the good we have in our lives.

Here are three ways you can help yourself achieve some quiet time:

1. Wake up really early in the morning before everyone else does; grab a cup of tea/ coffee; curl up on the sofa and think.
2. Go for an invigorating walk in the park or country.
3. Probably the hardest, challenge yourself to a day each week with nothing on. No cell, no landline, no Internet, no TV, no music (or if you do, try classical).

If you’re already in the habit of taking time to think, what do you do to help you remain focused on the task? If you have any other ideas than mine, please share. And what do you like to think about?