I just returned from a 5-day, 50-mile hike in the Uinta mountain range with my son’s Boy Scout troop. It was filled with many ups and downs, smooth shady paths and barren, rocky accents. We camped by picturesque lakes under a million electric stars. We got eaten by mosquitoes while eating dehydrated backpacking food. We fished. We pack and repacked our gear. We got rained on. We walked and talked and walked some more.

But the greatest gift this trip bestowed—other than a solid week without emails, meetings, or conference calls—was clear, pure moments of breathtaking silence.

It was as if the churning, bubbling waters in my mind went flatly still. A pervading calm washed over me. The peace and tranquility was exquisite.

I can hardly list the number of new insights and thoughts that flowed into my head in this receptive state. By removing myself to a place of silence, I was able to block out the noise and stem the floodgates long enough for the small trickles of inspiration and clarity to seep their way into my soul.

Wow, what a gift. I will definitely take steps to arrange my schedule to enjoy more of these moments.

It is so easy to run around all day long in a state of busyness. We say to ourselves, “But I’m so swamped. I count afford to take time out for quiet.”

You can’t afford not to. I know I can’t.