Have you ever been in your house when the power goes out? Even if you thought it was “quiet” before, when the power goes out, you suddenly notice how much background noise was really there the whole time the power was on. Usually it’s much more than we realize, but we get used to it, and it become invisible. And it’s only in those moments when everything gets disconnected, that you become aware of it.

The same thing can happen internally. We can get so busy, or have all kinds of things vying for our attention, that we can begin to accumulate all kinds of extra noise that can cloud our thinking. By taking intentional steps to disconnect, though, we can begin to recognize all the excess static that’s buzzing around. And this can help us to think more clearly on the the issues that matter most. But to get to that place, it may mean “pulling the plug” on things that only add to the mental noise.