As with most things, we must be intentional about finding time to be alone—alone without an umbilical connection to electronic engagement.

I confess my time alone has been used to catch up on all social media, texts, and anything else my phone serves up. When Jesus went to his desert place, he found true solitude. I believe He wants us to do likewise.

Social culture is overemphasized today. Social interaction is important and more is better. But, too much more interaction can limit cognitive and creative skills.

Time alone to reflect and solidify ideas is scarce today. My office has a constant influx of people. I have emails and texts to answer. I have production demands. I wailed yesterday afternoon that, "I don't have time to think."

If we aren't thinking, we are reacting rather than responding. A calculated response requires thinking!  

And if we don't have time to think, how do we have time to seek the Lord? I have purposeful prayer each morning, but my prayer time throughout the remainder of the day has been reduced to "one-liners and bless me, bless me's."

Is this God's best for my life?

There is surely a call on the life of a leader to "come to a quiet place and be still before the Lord."

Neuroscientists are catching up to God's Word. A recent Harvard Business Review article cited a study which concluded we get our best ideas when we are not fully engaged in our immediate environment. "When we are not focusing on anything in particular ... the brain's default mode network is activated. Many of our original insights arise from the activity of this 'imagination network'" (Kaufman and Gregorie, Executives, Protect Your Alone Time. Harvard Business Review. December 16, 2015).

The article specified three main components—personal meaning making, mental stimulation, and perspective taking as the essence of reflecting. It seems to me this is the essence of seeking the Lord in a desert place.

I've had trouble learning, that when I seek the Lord, I won't find Him on social media.

It's settled. I'm not taking my phone to the desert.

Today's Scripture

"Then He said to them, 'Come away by yourselves to a remote place and rest a while,' for many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat" (Mark 6:31).

NOODLING

Here's something I'm trying or thinking about today ...

Scientists at the Nestlé Research Center in Switzerland teamed up with the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) and the University ETH Zurich to develop a cup of coffee that releases caffeine slowly throughout the course of the day.

Controlled delivery of caffeine sounds perfect for chaos.

Platform Tip No. 32

Someone else's message doesn't work on your platform.

And your message isn't as powerful on someone else's platform.

Crystalize your own message and platform. Then show up every day.

Do you want to learn more about developing your personal platform?

Send for my free series of lessons titled, "The Fundamentals of Creating, Curating and Developing Content for Multiple Platforms." Send your request to: [email protected].

We will not share your email address with anyone.

Dr. Steve Greene is the publisher and executive vice president of the media group at Charisma Media and executive producer of the Charisma Podcast Network. His book, Love Leads: The Spiritual Connection Between Your Relationships and Productivity, is now available.

Leaders, Dr. Greene wants to help you understand the spiritual connection between relationships and productivity. Read his new blog, here.

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