If you have been following my posts, you have no doubt come to the conclusion that I have a deep interest in understanding who I am and what my purpose is and helping others do the same. Self knowledge and making our beliefs our own are key to living life in a meaningful way.
Solitude, taking time to sit and think about important things, and exposure to the thoughts and ideas of others all play an important part in our personal growth and well-being. So, today I’m going to take you on a tour of the current issue of the Sunday New York Times.
First up is an article titled The Power of Concentration. The author, Maria Konnikova, says, “We can learn a lot from the way Sherlock Holmes trains his mind.” She goes on to discuss the myth of multitasking and the benefits of meditation and mindfulness training which include improved memory, enhance ability to concentrate, and staving off dementia and Alzheimer’s.
Ms. Konnikova concludes with “The implications are tantalizing. Mindfulness may have a prophylactic effect: it can strengthen the areas that are most susceptible to cognitive decline. When we learn to unitask, to think more in line with Holmes detached approach, we may be doing more than increasing our observational prowess. We may be investing in a sounder mental future — no matter how old we are.”
Next is digital detox, Learning to Let Go: First, Turn Off the Phone. This article by Andy Isaacson discusses our addiction to our “smart phones” and what one self-proclaimed recovering techie, Levi Felix, is doing to help people “reformat their own personal hard drives.”
Mr. Felix says, “I’m a geek, I’m not a Luddite. I love that technology connects us and is taking our civilization to the next level, but we have to learn how to use it, and not have it use us.”
Mr. Felix organizes four-day weekend Digital Detox retreats and Device-Free Drinks parties. The article closes with a quote from Jana Kantor who volunteered to check in devices at one of the Device-Free Drinks parties. “One woman told me, ‘My whole life is on this phone,’ so I said, ‘That’s something to think about: is your whole life data, or is it your body?”
Interesting question, no?
Finally, the ever-controversial topic of religion. In The Decline of Evangelical America, John S. Dickerson makes the case that the Moral Majority of Rev. Jerry Falwell’s era in the 1980s is becoming a shrinking minority.
Mr. Dickerson says, “We evangelicals must accept that our beliefs are now in conflict with the mainstream culture. We cannot change ancient doctrines to adapt to the currents of the day. But we can, and must, adapt the way we hold our beliefs — with grace and humility instead of superior hostility.”
Grace and humility are character traits seldom witnessed in today’s world; in our religious leaders, in our political leaders, in the neighbor next door, in your co-worker. Or, how about in you and in me?
I encourage you to read these three articles. It won’t take that long and I’ve made it easy. All you have to do is click on the article titles above. Then, decide for yourself…do you agree or disagree with what you’ve read? Why? Is it because of your own well-reasoned personal beliefs or is it because of “conditioned belief” based on what you’ve been told and taught by others?
Your assignment: Read these articles, put your phone in another room, practice mindfulness for ten minutes, and then write down the last time you have personally exhibited the traits of grace and humility.
Wishing you grace, peace and simple abundance.
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