Give your thoughts space to wander

Last night I lay awake from 4 am to 6 am, listening to the kids' hamster run on its wheel. Non-stop.

I have no idea what the hell is going on with that little creature. I didn't know hamsters were nocturnal. I didn't know they were marathon runners in the early hours of the morning.

But I take it as a blessing. The spinning was just enough to keep me awake. It was not enough to fill my attention.

It left me with something I didn't know I was missing: time and space to think. Time to let my thoughts wander and percolate, and see what comes up.

The modern world is all about efficiency and productivity. AI and media come at us from every angle. I hadn't noticed that I'd stopped giving myself the gift of wide open space, where my attention can roam free.

Some amazing thinking came to me in those early hours. I thought around and through problems I was facing. I had never given them the time and space to see the opportunities in them.

So I've decided something. The drive home after dropping the kids off is 15 to 20 minutes, along a beautiful Nova Scotia highway. I'm not going to listen to the latest NFL news, or a podcast. I'm going to sit in silence and see where my thoughts take me.