Quietness of mind is an essential prerequisite to clear thinking.
Is your mind "quiet"?
Here are ten ways to tell.

1. You can sit quietly, breathe naturally, and not have your mind filled with extraneous thoughts.
For many people, sitting quietly is an oxymoron. Simply stilling the body does not in itself still one's mind. Quietness of mind is a function of diligent practice rather than accidental coincidence.

2. Your pulse is close to your resting heart rate.
How sensitive are you to your heart rate at any given moment? Many skilled athletes can sense their pulse rate within a beat or two. Just for the record, your resting heart rate is the speed of your heart in beats per minute just after you awake in the morning, but before you get out of bed. When you become still and calm, your heart rate slows, reflecting a measure of quietness.

3. You feel a sense of peace.
Sometimes called, "bliss", this feeling is described in the Bible as "the peace that passeth understanding". It's an inner calm that is not based on outer conditions, but one that radiates within oneself. You can't force it; you can only experience it.

4. Outside distractions appear remote and cease to distract.
One of the distinctions between mantric and breath forms of meditation is that, in mantric meditation, one tends to "tune out"--to become oblivious of external stimuli. In breath meditation, however, the effects are different. Instead of tuning out, noise becomes muted. Sounds are heard, but are not bothersome. This is an especially efficient way of relating from a quiet state. Again, to employ a Biblical metaphor, you are "in the world, but not of it"--a peaceful place to be.

5. You feel a sense of sharp clarity as though peering through a properly focused mircoscope.
The difference between this kind of clarity and that which is purely intellectual is that it is effortless. You might compare it to gazing at a Renoir or a Cezanne versus working out a math problem. It's in this state that insights, feelings and images appear spontaneously.

6. You encounter a time warp.
Many professional athletes have reported instances in which the scene in front of them suddenly shifts into slow motion and they feel as though they have all the time in the world to make the play, catch the ball, etc. This so-called "time shift" occurs most often when you are particularly quiet inside. It's not something you can practice; it just happens.

7. Insights and solutions to problems appear spontaneously.
A significant aspect of the creative process is a state of hopelessness or letting go of the problem, usually following and intense and sustained effort to analyze the problem. Often, it's in that narrow window opportunity when one gives up trying that the solution suddenly appears. This kind of spontaneous problem solving usually occurs only when one's mind is very quiet, at rest to observe and subtly process the information it has obtained.

8. Being non-judgmental becomes easy.
For most of us, being non-judgmental is an effort. For the truly quiet mind, it's simply an outcome. It's not that a discipline of holding back judgment has been imposed, but rather that your mind has been freed of the need to judge.

9. Disparities become more apparent.
A truly quiet mind picks up discontinuities between speech and action, between what is and what appears to be.

10. People notice.
But usually, not for a while. People tend to think of you the way you were, long after you've changed. Sooner or later, however, the quiet mind shows through and people begin to observe and gravitate towards it. Quietness attracts. When your mind is really quiet, you attract others who find that being around you is restful and, at the same time, invigorating. (For specific guidance on how to quiet your mind, you may want to consult Top Ten List #64: "Top Ten Ways to Quiet Your Mind".)

This piece was originally submitted by Shale Paul, Executive Coach, who can be reached at shale@shalecoach.com, or visited on the web. Shale Paul wants you to know: I work with individuals who are committed to getting ahead, changing direction, or simply growing.". The original source is: Written by Shale Paul, Executive Coach. Copyright 1996, Coach University. May be reproduced or transmitted if done so in its entirety, including this copyright line