As a mother of 4 young children and a former administrative assistant, I cannot overemphasize the importance of spending "quiet time" in our daily lives. Quiet time is "do-nothing", relaxation time, when you clear your mind from all concerns. It does wonders for me! It clears my head, and leaves me re-energized with new ideas. Without it, the day's busy activities can easily cloud out our hopes and dreams, and drain our energy. Fancier names for "quiet time" are "meditation" or "reflection". But don't let the sound of these seeming esoteric practices discourage you from trying "quiet time". I can offer techniques to make the practice simpler for you.

However, first let me talk about the wonderful rewards you will begin to experience (although, not all at once) as you develop the habit of spending effective quiet time:
· It's going to clear your mind and open you up to new ideas.
· This practice will make you more happy and peaceful.
· You will begin to open the door for more growth and fulfillment in your life.
· You will begin to clear old blocks from your life and make room for new ideas.
· Your mind will begin to function more clearly and efficiently.
· It will offer you insights and solutions to your challenges.

I'll let my personal experience with quiet time speak for itself. One morning, I got up feeling especially fatigued and blue. It was another dreary overcast day in Seattle, and I had several unsettling issues to deal with after sending my 4 children off to school. My husband and I were dealing with a bout of unemployment, financial problems, and the ordeal of directing our work lives down a new path.

By the end of my quiet time period, I had been transformed from feeling blue and tired, to being inspired with different exciting topics for freelance writing, which could create the next big break I needed at that time! And the wonderful thing was, as the ideas started coming…they just continued to flow more and more (as long as I kept my mind quiet and calm)!

The main goal of quiet time is to relax quietly and peacefully without allowing thoughts and concerns to engage your mind. If you are successful, afterwards, you should feel refreshed and even open to a flow of new ideas.

Here are some techniques I use for achieving an effective quiet time period.

1. Set aside a time and place when you will have no interruptions, and complete quiet (Some people may prefer relaxing music or sounds.). I suggest a time period of at least 30min. to an hour. Maybe the place is a special room in your house that is neatly organized and relaxing. Maybe it's a beautiful relaxing park, or a place in nature.

2. Give yourself a question or issue you want to explore/answer after the relaxation part of your quiet time. Have a notebook handy to jot down ideas that will come to you.

3. Find a relaxing position for yourself (i.e., sitting in a comfortable chair, or propped against pillows) and close your eyes.

4. Breath deeply and begin to relax.

5. Now, inside your mind, begin to see and imagine an energy field of glowing warm light around yourself. Imagine this warm light filling the room. Try to feel peace and love in this light. Relax here in this warmth and light until you feel your entire body and mind begin to relax. You will know that you have been successful when you feel a deep peace within your being. Remain alert. Try to stay in this space at deep peace for at least a few minutes.

6. If you find yourself beginning to think about things, firmly insist that this is quiet time and allow yourself to release the thoughts and remain focused with all your might on the inner light. Do not allow yourself to spend all of your quiet time worrying!

7. As you come out of the relaxation space, mentally ask yourself the question you would like to have answered. Be prepared to write down the thoughts and ideas that flow into your mind. Continue to listen throughout the day for more inspired thoughts that may come to you.

Be sure to have patience with yourself as you learn to practice quiet time, especially if you have no former experience with mental discipline practices. As with any practice, consistency and regularity are the keys to achieving results. You may find you need to learn more about related topics, such as relaxation techniques and meditation.