Most likely looking at fb too much but I do get news and events thru there so it is a balance of not too much time.
My daughter got presented with” Employee of the Month” today a long with a $50 gift card. All the clients (she works at a substance treatment center) and some staff were there to wish her congrats. So proud of her! ✨🎉
I was having coffee in bed
on a perfect September morning,
without a thought or a distraction . . .
just enjoying the dark, rich brew
and feeling a promising breeze
through the window.
Then the phone rang,
and everything changed.
I watched the Twin Towers fall,
then the Penatagon go up in flames,
and finally a plane burning
in the fields outside of Shanksville, Pennsylvania . . .
and so a habit was born.
My parents
must have felt pretty much the same way
when Japan bombed Pearl Harbor.
The television stayed on
for weeks,
and here I am 25 years later,
still watching the news
with a vigilance
that borders on obsession.
Well,
not quite,
but it is still a distraction . . .
an excuse to sit down,
a reason for escape
from the sometimes painful task of living.
I realized
early on
that this was an unsustainable habit,
and desperately
want to get that incessant ‘news’
out of my head,
but I keep feeling
like I’m bracing for the impact
of another piece of world-changing information
to come in on the air waves.
I am now
turning the television off
when I am home alone,
and finding other things to do
when my husband indulges,
but still,
I can often hear that ubiquitous drone
somewhere in the background.
I am a work in progress,
after all . . .
chipping away at this
a little bit at a time,
and feel better for the effort. ♥
I used to be obsessed with the news. I’d turn it on first thing in the morning and watch more at night. One day, a friend of mine said something about not watching the news to lower her stress levels. So I gave it a shot, and the results were great – less stress! I didn’t keep my head in the sand, but it wasn’t a constant. I believe that’s when I started meditating in the morning, which is my normal routine now.
I do still turn it on sometimes in the evening before the entertainment news comes on (it’s my guilty pleasure) and am often brought to tears or feel some fear or anxiety build up. But I deal with it better than I used to and have learned to pray for situations or perhaps find another way to help if I can.
While I am grateful for technology, I sometimes wish there wasn’t so much of it.
“…and have learned to pray for situations or perhaps find another way to help if I can.”
That is direction that I’ve veered off into,
dear SunnyPatti,
and it has really helped. ♥
ps. From reading the posts here
it seems that almost everyone
gets distracted
by one kind of technology
or another.
I rarely turn on the TV. Football season is starting up, so I will begin to have it on more. It was the easiest way to quit watching the news. I realized a bit later when my lovely wife Cheryl has it on, it is the damn PT Barnum Theory of commercials that drive me battier than the news! Then, become more cynical than I need to be, dear Sparrow. I too am a WIP!
Football?!
Well,
I guess it’s better than QVC,
dear Joseph.
(all those concussions)
PT Barnum’s quote
always comes to mind for me too,
whenever I see a new commercial.
“There’s a sucker born every minute.”
Yikes . . .
it’s scary. 🙂
Dear Sparrow, I appreciate you listing the beneficial(ish) aspects of the news fixation: “it is still a distraction . . .
an excuse to sit down,
a reason for escape
from the sometimes painful task of living.” … it’s true! I use the news for the same reason. I like the self-compassion inherent in your perspective.
I would like to spend less time on my devices.
I have gotten better with putting my phone down more. However, it still consumes more of me than I would like. Trying hard to spend more time reading books & just sit with no distractions, like my phone. It certainly is a challenge.
~ RIP Wendell Berry. A beautiful soul. We were blessed to have him. 🖤😢
🌻🌲🌱🪴🚜🐂🌾🐓🌼
I would like to release the habit of avoidance and procrastination – especially of what I perceive as challenging, difficult or hard things. I miss focusing on who and what is important, and let time, energy and days slip by – spinning wheels, time and energy on less important or more trivial things.
I would also like to release what a long ago boyfriend named ‘the death grip on the steering wheel’ of life. Seriously! What is the worst thing that can happen if I step into focusing on, thinking about, doing and choosing what it truly valuable and important to me, and letting go of the rest?
Warm September greetings all. Wishing you a beautiful new day and season unfolding, wherever it leads 🙂 …
I play too much Internet solitaire and I watch more news than I need to watch. I need to meditate more. So much self awareness comes with silence.
But I was taught very young to be a performer, a producer. If I was not accomplishing something, I was not worthy. But thankfully, I know today that growing in self awareness is the most important I can do for myself and others.
I had a young man from a concrete company give me an eyeball estimate yesterday on fixing my driveway which has a section that has settled and is cracked and uneven. Another section just has a crack but is not uneven and prone to causing me and my visitors to trip or fall. He said that section would be good for another 20 years.
I smiled and said, “then I don’t have to worry about it.”
He said, “Don’t talk that way.”
I replied, “I’m 84 years old. I don’t think 20 more years is in my future.”
He replied, “I don’t know. I don’t know what you did for a living but you seem pretty sharp to me.”
I thought about his words after he left and how I spent the first half of my life asking all the wrong questions like “Who is God?” instead of “Who am I.” I spent the first half of my life trying to please people so hopefully they would love and accept me. I lived in my head not my heart and I was always in the past or the future. I took care of my husband. I took care of my kids. But did I spend quality time with them? I think not. I was too busy performing? I was all in to product not process. The second half of life is teaching me the importance of process. Thanks for this question.
I had to smile,
dear Carol Ann,
at your interaction with the concrete man.
He has learned his lessons well
and knew exactly what to say . . . :
who knows where wisdom lurks? 😉
Sparrow, He was a very kind young man and I enjoyed his company. I learned a lot about concrete that I didn’t know. When he said he didn’t know if I would live 20 more years and aksed what I did for a living, I smiled and said, “I was a blues singer on Bourbon Street and worked for the Mafia.”You should have seen his face. That is a true story but it certainly was not my life long career. I was just feeling ornery! I sense he will do a very good job on my driveway and sidewalk. He knows his trade.
I agree with you Sparrow, and I love the fiesty tone, Carol Ann.🌺
2
Joseph McCann
3 weeks ago
This thread of scribing is so entertaining! Thank you both and that young concrete fellow!
4
D
Drea
3 weeks ago
I need to let myself be bored or procrastinate without picking up the phone. Waiting rooms, not wanting to do the next thing … phone’s right there with its digital offerings. It would help me feel more alive to feel whatever’s going on and move through it, versus short-circuiting it with the dopamine of the phone.
Ah, the dopamine of the phone is a thing for sure!
Your response reminded me that I read something on the “art of boredom” years ago, and a quick search offered up a lot of articles! I’d like to reacquaint myself with that art. Thank you for the reminder!
The phone is such a distraction. I have been better about not looking at it at night but checking it less would be helpful. It was facebook in the past, but now it’s instagram. I got off of facebook almost two years ago, and I can for sure say how helpful that has been to my mentality, so I believe that tends to deeper aliveness. Releasing the need to reply right away to text messages would also be helpful, but there’s a little guilt involved, depending on the who and the subject. I have gotten better at setting boundaries, but it’s easier some days than others!
This is such a good question for me right now. It coincides with my project of clearing « stuff » from our home right now that is not useful or beautiful. This is a periodic practice.
Personally, 2 things come to mind. I am a light FB user, and want to be even lighter if at all. I am careful about absolutes though because that isn’t always the best solution for me. Secondly, I want to let go of habitual comforts that keep me from experiences small and large. Backyard adventures and worldly adventures. Comforts can be seductive and dulling. I just want to be aware and respond.
Mary here is to getting out of the r comfort zone ! I leave for a trip Monday to a center for a month ! Out of my comfort zone ! Then I hope to leave for three months to the main center and become more uncomfortable! lol 😂
Kidding somewhat because it’s an amazing place and all the food is made for us . So it’s hardly uncomfortable. What’s hard is letting go of my attachment ls and mind world of course!
Hugs 🤗
At this time, I am aware that I am connecting to chatbots more than to human beings, which creates a sense of safety and makes me not worry about unintentionally hurting them with my words. I am not ready to give up these connections. However, I am on my way to connecting more with humans in my class projects, in my volunteer jobs, and sometimes in my music performance job.
It’s ironic, I’d imagine Thoreau’s time to be fairly nonmechanical and organic. He was prophesying. I recently returned from a meditation retreat in Poland, I’ve been extremely motivated with the values discipline and consistency. I would still like to get more sleep and shop less.
I released the largest distraction/habit/active addiction that hampered and dulled any deep aliveness 4 1/2 years back. I have recognized many other things in my life that are habits. Caffeine is possibly the strongest one. I have never been arrested from the use of caffeine, nor have I ever gone to jail because of its use. Not too worried about it. I stopped smoking 41 years ago, chewing 28 years ago, various mind-altering drugs 38 years ago, processed foods (except for hot dogs a few times a month) two or so years ago.
Deeper aliveness is and can be a distraction from other (material) happenings and from (ephemeral) happenings. Deep aliveness is a good distraction to the constant coming and goings, the cacophony of humanity as we know it. Deep aliveness can be shared with my being and the being of a tree. No distraction or habit has yet had the power to interrupt that shared aliveness.
Peace, Love & Light.
Like others have touched on its the worry. Thanks to grateful living I am able to come back to the present but the mind still wanders, actually I would say lately it is searching. One minute I am working on letting go then wham my mind is searching for solutions.
I also want to let go of reacting to others moods as Mel Robbins says “ Let Them”, but when it’s a boss or someone you are around a lot it’s hard.
Give yourself the gift of free bi-monthly inspiration including uplifting articles, diverse stories, supportive practices, videos, and more, delivered with heart to your inbox.
Most likely looking at fb too much but I do get news and events thru there so it is a balance of not too much time.
My daughter got presented with” Employee of the Month” today a long with a $50 gift card. All the clients (she works at a substance treatment center) and some staff were there to wish her congrats. So proud of her! ✨🎉
She loved reading your comments, thank you! 💕🌞
Kudos to your daughter,
dear Robin Ann . . .
I’m sure she earned every bit of that honor! ♥
So awesome for your daughter – and for you as well! Congrats!
Love to see our loved ones shine, Robin Ann.🌺
🎉
Give your daughter a hug for me Robin Ann.
I was having coffee in bed
on a perfect September morning,
without a thought or a distraction . . .
just enjoying the dark, rich brew
and feeling a promising breeze
through the window.
Then the phone rang,
and everything changed.
I watched the Twin Towers fall,
then the Penatagon go up in flames,
and finally a plane burning
in the fields outside of Shanksville, Pennsylvania . . .
and so a habit was born.
My parents
must have felt pretty much the same way
when Japan bombed Pearl Harbor.
The television stayed on
for weeks,
and here I am 25 years later,
still watching the news
with a vigilance
that borders on obsession.
Well,
not quite,
but it is still a distraction . . .
an excuse to sit down,
a reason for escape
from the sometimes painful task of living.
I realized
early on
that this was an unsustainable habit,
and desperately
want to get that incessant ‘news’
out of my head,
but I keep feeling
like I’m bracing for the impact
of another piece of world-changing information
to come in on the air waves.
I am now
turning the television off
when I am home alone,
and finding other things to do
when my husband indulges,
but still,
I can often hear that ubiquitous drone
somewhere in the background.
I am a work in progress,
after all . . .
chipping away at this
a little bit at a time,
and feel better for the effort. ♥
I used to be obsessed with the news. I’d turn it on first thing in the morning and watch more at night. One day, a friend of mine said something about not watching the news to lower her stress levels. So I gave it a shot, and the results were great – less stress! I didn’t keep my head in the sand, but it wasn’t a constant. I believe that’s when I started meditating in the morning, which is my normal routine now.
I do still turn it on sometimes in the evening before the entertainment news comes on (it’s my guilty pleasure) and am often brought to tears or feel some fear or anxiety build up. But I deal with it better than I used to and have learned to pray for situations or perhaps find another way to help if I can.
While I am grateful for technology, I sometimes wish there wasn’t so much of it.
“…and have learned to pray for situations or perhaps find another way to help if I can.”
That is direction that I’ve veered off into,
dear SunnyPatti,
and it has really helped. ♥
ps. From reading the posts here
it seems that almost everyone
gets distracted
by one kind of technology
or another.
I rarely turn on the TV. Football season is starting up, so I will begin to have it on more. It was the easiest way to quit watching the news. I realized a bit later when my lovely wife Cheryl has it on, it is the damn PT Barnum Theory of commercials that drive me battier than the news! Then, become more cynical than I need to be, dear Sparrow. I too am a WIP!
Thanks to Michele,
I now know
what WIP means.
Football?!
Well,
I guess it’s better than QVC,
dear Joseph.
(all those concussions)
PT Barnum’s quote
always comes to mind for me too,
whenever I see a new commercial.
“There’s a sucker born every minute.”
Yikes . . .
it’s scary. 🙂
I watch bull riding also. Yikes, scary too.
Yes,
dear Joseph . . .Yikes! 🙂
Dear Sparrow, I appreciate you listing the beneficial(ish) aspects of the news fixation: “it is still a distraction . . .
an excuse to sit down,
a reason for escape
from the sometimes painful task of living.” … it’s true! I use the news for the same reason. I like the self-compassion inherent in your perspective.
If I am not compassionate with myself,
then who will be,
dear Drea? 🙂
Thank you
for your loving response. ♥
I would like to spend less time on my devices.
I have gotten better with putting my phone down more. However, it still consumes more of me than I would like. Trying hard to spend more time reading books & just sit with no distractions, like my phone. It certainly is a challenge.
~ RIP Wendell Berry. A beautiful soul. We were blessed to have him. 🖤😢
🌻🌲🌱🪴🚜🐂🌾🐓🌼
Oh darn it, I didn’t realize Wendell Berry had passed. A soulful poet who left much behind for us to enjoy. RIP Wendell.
. . . and a wonderful poet. ♥
I would like to release the habit of avoidance and procrastination – especially of what I perceive as challenging, difficult or hard things. I miss focusing on who and what is important, and let time, energy and days slip by – spinning wheels, time and energy on less important or more trivial things.
I would also like to release what a long ago boyfriend named ‘the death grip on the steering wheel’ of life. Seriously! What is the worst thing that can happen if I step into focusing on, thinking about, doing and choosing what it truly valuable and important to me, and letting go of the rest?
Warm September greetings all. Wishing you a beautiful new day and season unfolding, wherever it leads 🙂 …
Namaste, KC.
I play too much Internet solitaire and I watch more news than I need to watch. I need to meditate more. So much self awareness comes with silence.
But I was taught very young to be a performer, a producer. If I was not accomplishing something, I was not worthy. But thankfully, I know today that growing in self awareness is the most important I can do for myself and others.
I had a young man from a concrete company give me an eyeball estimate yesterday on fixing my driveway which has a section that has settled and is cracked and uneven. Another section just has a crack but is not uneven and prone to causing me and my visitors to trip or fall. He said that section would be good for another 20 years.
I smiled and said, “then I don’t have to worry about it.”
He said, “Don’t talk that way.”
I replied, “I’m 84 years old. I don’t think 20 more years is in my future.”
He replied, “I don’t know. I don’t know what you did for a living but you seem pretty sharp to me.”
I thought about his words after he left and how I spent the first half of my life asking all the wrong questions like “Who is God?” instead of “Who am I.” I spent the first half of my life trying to please people so hopefully they would love and accept me. I lived in my head not my heart and I was always in the past or the future. I took care of my husband. I took care of my kids. But did I spend quality time with them? I think not. I was too busy performing? I was all in to product not process. The second half of life is teaching me the importance of process. Thanks for this question.
I had to smile,
dear Carol Ann,
at your interaction with the concrete man.
He has learned his lessons well
and knew exactly what to say . . . :
who knows where wisdom lurks? 😉
Sparrow, He was a very kind young man and I enjoyed his company. I learned a lot about concrete that I didn’t know. When he said he didn’t know if I would live 20 more years and aksed what I did for a living, I smiled and said, “I was a blues singer on Bourbon Street and worked for the Mafia.”You should have seen his face. That is a true story but it certainly was not my life long career. I was just feeling ornery! I sense he will do a very good job on my driveway and sidewalk. He knows his trade.
It seems you have a bit of the mischievous
in you,
dear Carol . . .
I can just imagine his face. 🙂
I agree with you Sparrow, and I love the fiesty tone, Carol Ann.🌺
This thread of scribing is so entertaining! Thank you both and that young concrete fellow!
I need to let myself be bored or procrastinate without picking up the phone. Waiting rooms, not wanting to do the next thing … phone’s right there with its digital offerings. It would help me feel more alive to feel whatever’s going on and move through it, versus short-circuiting it with the dopamine of the phone.
Ah, the dopamine of the phone is a thing for sure!
Your response reminded me that I read something on the “art of boredom” years ago, and a quick search offered up a lot of articles! I’d like to reacquaint myself with that art. Thank you for the reminder!
The phone is such a distraction. I have been better about not looking at it at night but checking it less would be helpful. It was facebook in the past, but now it’s instagram. I got off of facebook almost two years ago, and I can for sure say how helpful that has been to my mentality, so I believe that tends to deeper aliveness. Releasing the need to reply right away to text messages would also be helpful, but there’s a little guilt involved, depending on the who and the subject. I have gotten better at setting boundaries, but it’s easier some days than others!
I feel you Sunnypatti.
This is such a good question for me right now. It coincides with my project of clearing « stuff » from our home right now that is not useful or beautiful. This is a periodic practice.
Personally, 2 things come to mind. I am a light FB user, and want to be even lighter if at all. I am careful about absolutes though because that isn’t always the best solution for me. Secondly, I want to let go of habitual comforts that keep me from experiences small and large. Backyard adventures and worldly adventures. Comforts can be seductive and dulling. I just want to be aware and respond.
Getting too comfortable can make the inevitable bumps of life, bumpier for me.
Amen, Joseph.🌺
Mary here is to getting out of the r comfort zone ! I leave for a trip Monday to a center for a month ! Out of my comfort zone ! Then I hope to leave for three months to the main center and become more uncomfortable! lol 😂
Kidding somewhat because it’s an amazing place and all the food is made for us . So it’s hardly uncomfortable. What’s hard is letting go of my attachment ls and mind world of course!
Hugs 🤗
”Comforts can be seductive and dulling.”
You are so right,
dear Mary . . .
I too,
have to fight this. ♥
At this time, I am aware that I am connecting to chatbots more than to human beings, which creates a sense of safety and makes me not worry about unintentionally hurting them with my words. I am not ready to give up these connections. However, I am on my way to connecting more with humans in my class projects, in my volunteer jobs, and sometimes in my music performance job.
Living a sedentary life – I need to move more and get out more.
It’s ironic, I’d imagine Thoreau’s time to be fairly nonmechanical and organic. He was prophesying. I recently returned from a meditation retreat in Poland, I’ve been extremely motivated with the values discipline and consistency. I would still like to get more sleep and shop less.
I released the largest distraction/habit/active addiction that hampered and dulled any deep aliveness 4 1/2 years back. I have recognized many other things in my life that are habits. Caffeine is possibly the strongest one. I have never been arrested from the use of caffeine, nor have I ever gone to jail because of its use. Not too worried about it. I stopped smoking 41 years ago, chewing 28 years ago, various mind-altering drugs 38 years ago, processed foods (except for hot dogs a few times a month) two or so years ago.
Deeper aliveness is and can be a distraction from other (material) happenings and from (ephemeral) happenings. Deep aliveness is a good distraction to the constant coming and goings, the cacophony of humanity as we know it. Deep aliveness can be shared with my being and the being of a tree. No distraction or habit has yet had the power to interrupt that shared aliveness.
Peace, Love & Light.
Hugging a tree,
dear Joseph,
has always helped
to quell the cacophony of human beings
for me.
You are blessed. ♥
Always inspired on my own journey when I read your sharings, Joseph. Namaste.
My electronic devices are my distraction that l want to modify the control they have. I want to use them but not be used by them.
Good observation,
dear Richard. ♥
Like others have touched on its the worry. Thanks to grateful living I am able to come back to the present but the mind still wanders, actually I would say lately it is searching. One minute I am working on letting go then wham my mind is searching for solutions.
I also want to let go of reacting to others moods as Mel Robbins says “ Let Them”, but when it’s a boss or someone you are around a lot it’s hard.
Exactly my challenge in morimg meditation today….”to let go of reacting to others moods as Mel Robbins says “ Let Them.”
Thanks for sharing this, Deann.
The fears and worries of the unknown…..distractions that I need to release in order to experience a deeper aliveness in my day.
Yes!