A couple of weeks ago I went “glamping” on the Oregon coast. For those of you that aren't familiar with the term, it's a form of camping that is more luxurious than traditional camping. For us, it meant we were in my friends Airstream camper. It was really nice and definitely not like the kind of camping I did with my family growing up; which meant eight people in one tent.

We had a lovely time. The weather, the ocean, being in nature and slowing down was just what I needed. I knew I was looking forward to the time with friends and getting to the coast, but it wasn't until I really slowed down that I realized how much I needed it.

Creating space is something I've talked about before. Space in our lives and in our minds. On this trip, I experienced the value of a powerful way to get that space – less input.

Throughout my day, there is a lot of input. I'm sure you can relate to all the ways we are constantly taking in information. If you're like me a normal day includes emails, texts, phone calls, video calls & social media. Add to that listening to podcasts, which I love to do, and maybe some news, internet surfing, and a good Netflix series and pretty soon we are taking in huge amounts of stimulation and information.

When I was away, I was disconnected from my phone. We walked along the beach, hung out by the fire, enjoyed the scenery and great conversations. Over this time, I slowed down and experienced more depth and internal stillness. From that stillness, I felt refreshed and rejuvenated. I felt more peace and a beautiful sense of well-being.

I wasn't “consuming” and noticed that I naturally got more creative. I started to get new clarity around a creative project. Previously, I had felt a little blocked and confused about how to move forward. When I would sit down to write or think things through, my mind would spin, and nothing would really come into form.

In the midst of this weekend, when I was doing nothing, something started to happen.

A quiet mind, internal stillness, less input are all ways we are able to move beyond our stirred up or familiar thinking and tap into fresh. We go beyond what we see and tap into what is invisible but is essential. We go beyond a highly active mind and tap into our deeper nature; our wisdom.

From this place of quiet and stillness, clarity, creativity and presence come forward. We get a sense or a knowing of what to do. We start writing. We get a fresh idea for an old problem. We get hopeful again when we are not bogged down by too much input.

A client and I were having a conversation about this a few weeks ago. As she prepares to make a big transition, she’s interested in seeing something fresh for herself. She is looking for clarity about her next adventure. During a session she shared, “I realized all my previous ideas sprung off the heels of what I was taking in and not necessarily from my own wisdom. When I stopped looking for inspiration and clarity outside, from others, I started getting inspiration & ideas from within. And I really like them!”

I resonated with this. While I love learning and listening to great teachers or inspiring people, there is nothing as meaningful as listening to our own wisdom. To what is alive in us. To what wants to come forth.

To really hear it, we must turn off the noise of outside and listen within. When we are willing to step away from the noise of other ideas or opinions, from the noise of technology, emails and our sped-up minds, we fall into a powerful stillness and knowing where we experience new ideas, creativity realizations.

Learning to cultivate more moments of quiet, moments when we limit input and turn down the volume, we can finally hear what wants to be expressed through us.