The world (or your own mind) might tell you that you need to think more to overcome a problem or situation you find yourself in, but unless there is immediate danger, this is rarely the case. In fact, the opposite is true.

Creating gaps in your stream of thinking is a necessary stage in reducing the activity of the mind, diminishing fear/anxiety and finding solutions to challenges. Without gaps, your thinking becomes repetitive, uninspired and devoid of any creative spark, which is how the majority of people on the planet live day to day.

Don’t be concerned with the duration of the gaps. A few seconds is good enough. Gradually, they will lengthen by themselves, without any effort on your part. More importantly than the length of the gaps is to bring them in frequently so that your daily activities and your stream of thinking become interspersed with space.

When you next wash your hands, or have a shower see if you can create space there. There is no need to think about the next thing at that moment. Just feel the water on your skin, be completely present in that moment and begin to notice the gaps between thoughts in your mind.

The more space you create, the more room you’ll make for joy, peace and creativity to emerge naturally from within. Solutions, inspiration and insight can only come from a place of stillness. I.e. when there is space in your mind.

When Einstein was young, he was slow to start speaking and his parents thought something was wrong with him. But when he did start speaking he spoke full sentences that were highly intelligent for his age. One could argue that he had an innate ability to be still in his mind and was able to wait for words, thoughts and insights to arrive between the gaps in his consciousness.

We all have this ability and, just like a muscle, it can be strengthened. With daily practice, it’s only a matter of time before you begin to notice the difference from within.