Find yourself somewhere quiet to sit awhile and simply watch the world go by. It could be a park bench, a pavement cafe, even the commute home this evening.

Put your newspaper away, turn off your 'phone, unplug your earphones, switch off your iPad. Plug yourself into the reality of experiencing life as it is passing you by.

If you don't open your mind or give yourself the necessary mental space you can be sure that your own life will pass you by.

We are so caught up in moving so fast that we often don't know where we're going. We never give ourselves the space to figure out where we want to go or, even better, to let it simply dawn upon us.

When we give ourselves space we give ourselves the opportunity to be inspired. And we could all do with a little inspiration. When are you most likely to discover the solution to a seemingly unsolvable problem? Or when are you most likely to come up with an idea that prompts you to say "Why haven't I already thought of that?"

We all need a little breathing space, elbow room, time to slow our minds so that they can do their very best work. The Italians have a wonderful expression - dolce far niente - the sweetness of doing nothing. Bring a little sweetness and light into your life today.