We live in a very noisy world. Between the background hum of electronics, fans, and air conditioners; the seemingly omnipresent iPods, car radios, and televisions; and the constant cell phone interruptions, there's a lot going on. Very rarely do we get a chance to just exist in a state of silence.

Not that noise is inherently a bad thing, it's just that when you don't have the opportunity to be in silence, you can't quiet down your own internal noise either - the constant chatter of your mind. And the information that's trying to get through all of the clutter - from your subconscious, your intuition, or a higher power, has to fight to get heard.

That's why so many of the world's philosophies and religions have "quiet time" as a component of their regular practices. From silent prayer to Zen mediation, they all aim to allow you to reconnect with messages that have been drowned out. There's power in having that quiet - whether it's taking 5 minutes a day or the silent weekend retreats held by many faiths.

This silence gives you the chance to access wisdom and knowledge that is usually lost. There's a little voice inside you that has a lot of the answers that you're looking for.  You can call it inspiration from God, tapping the collective unconscious, getting in touch with your inner self, or whatever, but it usually has some pretty good ideas. By engaging with this information, you can often find solutions to challenges you face. Earl Nightingale, one of the founders of the self-help industry, recommended solving problems by sitting in silence with a pad of paper and writing down what comes to you.

Are you taking time to be quiet and sit with your thoughts? You might feel so harried that you don't think you have any time, but could you turn the car radio tomorrow when you go to work? Next time you work out, could you not put on the iPod, and instead see what comes to you in the silence?

Give yourself the chance to cut through the noise and hear that inner voice.  You’ll be glad you did.