When do you think? I mean really think? For me, often it is late at night…when all is quiet in the house. It is when the kids are in bed and I know that the fast pace of the day has finally slowed to a crawl. Sometimes it also happens in the car during a long drive. On the rare occasion, it is when I am going for a walk. This is rare because I don’t make enough time to walk in my life. (Note to self.) Mostly though, it is at night as I feel this is when my brain is best able to process the events that have gone on around me during the day. Also, I know that it is because it is when I will get the longest stretch of uninterrupted time. Time is precious, especially quiet time; so I take it however I can.
Lately, I have noticed that my time to think is increasingly fragmented. I seem to get fewer windows of opportunity to really think. When they do happen they are lovely and incredibly rewarding. But then…just as fast as they come they are gone…usually interrupted by some other situation in my life that requires my attention. Something pulls me away and I am forced to let go of the moment of thought…only to hope that I can capture it again soon. This is much easier said than done.
I talk to other people; to others who blog, to parents, to friends and to other professionals. The truth is that I am not alone. What I hear is that many are like me. They are distracted, pulled in multiple directions and are exhausted by the day-to-day routine of their lives. Their thinking is also fragmented and they long for time to think; to really think. They long for any time to themselves.
I’m not totally sure what the answer is; however I know that it is important to try to find ways to give your mind the space that it truly needs to think, to process and to consider. I believe that you are a better person if you are able to take time to do this.
For now…I will take what the quiet of the night has to offer me. It is the best I can do and I know that it helps me get through the days.
When do you get time to really think?
Leave a Reply