Since I started writing my book a year and a half ago, I have been trying to find a title for it. So far, the book has had at least 3 potential titles, which have been discarded along the way. I’ve been dreaming of the next title for a long time, and am pretty sure that I just found it.
Earlier this week, I was riding a commuter bus from New York City to Richmond, Virginia (here’s a little travel tip – taking the bus between those cities is a shorter journey than taking an airplane or train). I tend to get carsick if I read in moving vehicles, so there was very little that I could do on the 6 hour ride down the coast, aside from snacking, listening to music, and thinking. Right around Washington D.C., I started thinking about more possibilities for the title of the book.
Then I found the title!
It’s alluring, fits the content of the book, and whenever I say it out loud, it feels elegant and powerful.
So, where can you find your next greatest business idea (like a book title, a new service that you can create, or a great idea for bringing more money into your business)?
In silence.
A couple weeks ago, I was listening to an interview with author Marci Shimoff, where she explained that she had originally received the ideas for her 2 New York Time’s bestselling books, Chicken Soup for the Woman’s Soul, and Happy for No Reason, while on silent retreats. My own business ideas tend to show up when I have the open space to hear them, and many of you have shared stories about also receiving ideas in this way.
Here are a few ways that you can create silence in your own life, and make space for great ideas to come to you.
1. Go on a silent retreat. As I envision what my own silent retreat might look like, I see this: Four days spent at a little cabin by a lake, or in the woods. A bathtub is required. I don’t want too many people nearby. I wouldn’t participate in the internet while on the silent retreat, and I would not take phone calls.
2. Turn off your cell phone, and don’t participate in the internet for a period of time (even just a few hours). Airplanes are a great place to do this, and I consistently receive great ideas on flights.
3. Give yourself some “half silence.” When I recently discovered the name for my book, I was listening to music, but doing very little else. If music inspires your creative process, feel free to add it into your silence.
4. Take a break from other people’s opinions. It’s very easy to look for outside permission from other people, and many of us ask others what they think we should do, long before connecting with our own intuition. I encourage you to spend some time simply with your thoughts, so that your own ideas can come to the surface first, before you receive outside input.
5. Go to a cafe alone. Grab a warm drink, open your journal, and let yourself be lulled into relaxation. From this silence, some of your greatest ideas can come forward.
6. Travel alone. While traveling solo, you will still likely meet new people and chat with them, but you will also have plenty of silent space to dream and to think. Even on my recent trip to New York City, I had hours of quiet time at restaurants, while in transit, and at the hotel.
Enjoy your silence.
And let me know what shows up for you.
© 2014 Ava Waits
Ava Waits is an inspirational speaker, business mentor, and forthcoming author. She believes that making money should feel like bliss, and through her work, she helps innovative women build service-based businesses that richly fund their lives.
Clients worldwide have used Ava’s processes to release financial constriction and bring more business opportunities, love, and income into their lives. For more information, to view article archives, and to schedule a Strategy Session to discuss your business visions, please visit www.AvaWaits.com.
