I wonder where you are when you are reading this: in town or in country, in noise or in silence.  As we turn the page from 2007 to 2008 it is increasingly difficult to find silence in the environment in which we live.  Trains, planes, cars, motor bikes, tannoy announcements, ipods, mobile phones are a continuous assault on our ear drums.  In other parts of the world there may be the noise of gunfire or tanks. 

So finding peace can be tricky but where we choose to be can help us touch that inner silence that is available to all of us if we take the time to listen for it.  I have been lucky enough to spend the weekend down in Nice.  One thing I have been reminded of is how wonderful it is to be in a place where the shops close on Sunday!  This large city takes on a completely different energy and sound level as people are forced to find alternative things to do with their time other than shop and spend money.

The whole city transforms itself from a hub of designer consumerism to a place where people promenade, just sit and look at the sea and the horizon, sit with their families in cafes and talk – in fact have to find other ways of entertaining themselves and, in that, come back in to themselves.   On a day when there is less activity on the outside we have to remind ourselves who we are and what we enjoy doing – are we someone who likes to read, to walk, to dance, to make furniture, to paint a picture, or just to sit and do nothing.

In that space boredom can arise and it is boredom that often stimulates creativity.  If our mind is always busy in external thought and action we can forget how to come back in to ourselves and be peaceful with doing nothing.  Boredom – or just doing nothing, however you want to think about it - can help us to remember how to stop and to notice the birds’ song, or hear the wind in the trees.   Boredom and stillness can remind us how to have the inner time and attention to listen to the voices of our children or loved ones instead of being in a hurry to answer the next email or attend the next meeting.

Sundays in London used to be like this but we have now become enmeshed in constant busy activity.  So why not take this ‘inner’ time out next Sunday – tune out of the external ever-humming world and reach that inner silence. Have a whole day where you don’t go near a shop but find other, slower, things to do.  You may remind yourself of that quiet state of mind where you feel more at one with the world and those you love.  You may find that your mind, at rest, suddenly becomes more creative than it has ever been before…  You can get more tips on how to do this from my CDs Help yourself to a Better Life and How to Survive Life Positively – take a look at http://www.positiveworks.com/products/development.htm