The “noise floor” is the measure of the signal created from the sum of all the noise sources and unwanted signals within a measurement system.  In other words, it is unwanted or unwelcome noise that interferes with peak performance and highest quality.  Transfer this to our own lives and it is noise that hinders the way we should be thinking, doing and living.

I was recently in the Atlanta airport and I could not believe all of the ridiculous noises that were keeping me from focusing on my book and from working on my laptop.  The beeping of the people cart, the shrill news reporters who sound like they work for Entertainment Tonight, the grinding blender making Smoothies, the big tool on his Bluetooth making sure everyone understands how important he is, the constant flight & airport announcements, other TV’s and radios blaring, and the general decibels rising into the air of people everywhere talking over one another.  It’s enough to make one lose their mind.

Since then I’ve noticed it everywhere.  The noise floor is consistently too high and people have forgotten the benefits of silence.

Silence that allows us to think clearly and search our hearts.

The common way to lower the noise floor in electronics systems is to cool the system and reduce major unwanted noise sources.  We should all be doing the same thing.