Why are we so attracted to being mindless? Today’s technology has made it easier and easier for us to remain completely mindless. Walking down the street on the way to the subway station. Why allow my mind to have some quiet time to reflect when I can send an email or make a quick phone call? Sitting in a waiting room waiting for a doctor or a client meeting. Why allow my mind to have some quiet time to reflect when I can play solitaire on my PDA? Why allow my mind to have some quiet time to reflect when I can turn on the TV and vegetate?
When I find myself most tempted to run away from allowing my thoughts to settle down, that’s the sign to let me know how much I need to take time to sit, reflect, and/or meditate to become mindful. It’s funny how easy it is for me to avoid what’s best for me. It’s as if each time I have to re-learn the lesson of the importance of mindfulness.
When was the last time you allowed yourself to just be present in the moment? When was the last time you purposely chose not to answer your cell phone (or even turn it off)? When was the last time you went for an entire day without checking email? What’s one thing you can do today to be mindful?
Being Mindful does not automatically mean doing nothing or resisting use of technology, it could also mean doing something that nourishes your soul and spirit – like playing music, painting, doing crossword puzzles, exercising, praying, etc.
Being Mindless could also mean doing something without meaning, without purpose nor significance, without redemption, immoral, racist, spiteful etc.
Yes, I agree with your thoughts in this piece. There are far too few moments of mindfulness because we clutter our brains too much with the mindlessness of t.v., ipod, cellphone, etc.
I am working on having more mindful time.
Hello Deb,
I could not fault your observation of mindlessness that the gadgets associated with the information superhighway [re modern communications and computer technology] can help create in our lives. There is so much to learn and catch up with merely at a computer keystroke. There is the upside as well as the downside of the mindless equation: on the on hand there is the need to catch up with the runaway seamless dimensions of human knowledge; and on the other hand, we need to spend time with ourselves for introspection, meditation and reflection–from which much knowledge can be also generated.
We need to control the doors to our minds and find the appropriate balance between the external knowledge inputs that can come from modern communications system–such as you have noted in your introduction–and the knowledge that can be generated within our souls in terms of our being mindful of our inner being or spirit. We have to strike a balance by continually switching on and off from both modalities in apportioning each domain due time and attention. While I agree with you that we need to find more time for mediation and becoming in tune with our spirit, we should not give exclusive attention to meditation exercises and neglect the vital inputs to our lives that we can gather from external telecommunications streams. Such streams also have relative values in themselves in helping us nurture our souls in becoming fully mature, integrated and fully functional human beings.
Thanks Bennie,
I guess I could have worded that differently. I was trying to distinguish between times when I am in a “being” space, present with myself and my spirit as opposed to times when I am in “doing” state without being intentional and/or allowing my thoughts to run away from or with me.
Deb
Good to hear from you Renaye.
This is on ongoing struggle for me.
Deb
Anthony,
No question about it – we need to find a balance between being meditative and in tune with our spirits and taking advantage of the various modes of communication available to us.
Thanks.
Deb
Mindfulness / Mindlessness. Neither occupy a specific space in our psyches. Wherever we are- whatever we are doing – the opportunity, for mindlessness or mindfulness are always present. We might consider that both are necessary condition of our human experience, as the song goes,”. . . you can’t have one without the other .”
Great point Neil,
There is a time and place for both. It’s a matter of finding the right balance.
Deb
Thanks for these reflections, Deb. I guess part of my own work these past years has been to try to use the electronic resources before us as mindfully as possible. Emails and the internet, for me, are extraordinarily important and powerful tools which are sadly not used as mindfully as they should be. Writing correspondence on line as if you are hand-writing a letter should be par for the course. Checking email should be like opening a letter from a long lost pal (with no reason not to throw away the junk mail just as we would with snail mail). For years, I resisted getting the fastest possible internet connection, because the time it took to download certain information gave me a moment to “catch my breath” or become mindful in that space. I guess that it is still hard for me to see the mindful possibilities of television, and I still don’t have a cell phone because I don’t want folks to have 24/7 access to me. But it is also true that at my stressful, hospital-based teaching job, we all take one mindful minute at the beginning of rounds each morning to shut off the lights and just breathe.
Hey Matt,
There are definitely pros and cons to the technology available to us. I think it’s fabulous that you take a moment to become present before going on rounds. I’m sure your interactions with patients benefit from it.
All the best,
Deb
I found Matt’s observations quite thoughtful and poignant, given the world we all live in. The notion of purposeful, active and engaged communication really does (at least for me) a higher level of attention… one that also results in higher quality responses. And that process is made extremely difficult in an era of Twitter’s 140 characters allowed for comment or response, or the tone announcing a new email, or the always-on cell phone. (Full disclosure… I don’t yet have a Twitter account, my new mail notice tone is turned off, and I don’t have my cell on unless I’m expecting a call by prior arrangement.) It is hard to buck the tend of near instant or immediate availability, but I find most people are really okay with the wait… and while get time to think, I like to believe it gives them some time to reflect as well.
Thanks Duff,
I’d like to ignore my cell phone but it’s hard to do that when you have a teenager who might need to reach you. :) Unless it’s her calling,I I try to ignore calls when I’m talking with someone in person.
Deb
Ha! Deb, you’re quite right about the open cell line for kids. The times we live in… makes mindfulness a challenge.
Duff
Flying back from NOLA I received a chain email from my deceased partner’s son celebrating her life. I settled into the stories people told about her and my memories of her strength and humanness. I loved feeling my tears as I allowed myself to be with her and to enjoy the powerful impacts she had on all of us.
Robin,
Great to hear from you. Sometimes we need to just sit with our bittersweet moments and allow them to flow through us. That’s what gives life meaning and joy.