Life is full of noise. The current electronic age inundates us continuously with messages that the average person cannot possibly keep up with. When do we take time to meditate on the duties and blessings of life? It takes a conscious choice to lay down all things which bombard our senses and move to a quiet place void of interruptions and just breathe.
Lately I've been doing just that. I spend some morning time reading and meditating on the scriptures. I'm finding that this practice is a good way to find my balance in a precarious society which hammers my empathetic heart and soul.
For decades I have not watched television or made any real effort to keep abreast of news or current local or global events unless they are being discussed in a social or work environment. The decision came as soon as I left my ex-husband who couldn't live without the television on every waking moment. My spirit was overwhelmed with constant noise while he was home or we were together.
When he left I turned the TV off and took frequent walks alone and with my children or spent time in our garden and later, after we purchased one, in the aboveground pool off of the living room. I found my escape outdoors, and I still do.
I left the marriage (for many good reasons) at age 38 and vowed a television was not a necessity or even a desire. The boys and I took my computer and I had control of what I viewed on the news pages, but life was full as a single mother of two boys under 17.
Work consumed my time and I caved and purchased my first cell phone shortly after when I was struck as a pedestrian after my car went into a field a couple miles from our rental. I recognized a need to have a way to call for help in the commute home late at night.
The cell phones today are very complex and with them come myriads of notifications about everything and from anyone who needs or wants immediate attention.
Controlling notifications is a major win and a good thing to utilize. My phone's Do Not Disturb option is consistently utilized.
I allow disturbances during few times of my waking day and only set notifications for emergency contacts later in the evening. If you can reach me, it's during those rare windows where notifications are on.
I remember my first days with a smartphone feeling unusual anxiety attempting to respond to texts and emails to be "current" on them all and felt growing resentment into the intrusion into my free and not-so-free time. When I realized it was my own naivete for allowing it, I set about learning what was needed to pull away from it all and I realized that there was no cause to feel guilty for being protective over my time and who I allowed to interrupt it.
The types of things I allow to enter my mind and heart are my choice. I read now and view electronic media with a mind to learn and grow as a person. Many things in the news disturb my heart and push me to pray for peace and understanding as well as culpability for choices I make, little things and large. I stopped donating to an organization I donated to for years after my full investigation revealed back door use of the money that violated my moral convictions. It involved exposing myself to articles that troubled me deeply.
Media can be a wonderful tool to help others and, coupled with responsible choice, meditation on choices based off of research in multiple news sources has educated and sobered me.
Maybe I am just one person in a swarm of many but I am convinced now that one person always influences many (ripple effect) and by spending time alone contemplating all of the numbing notifications and media intrusions coupled with responsible choices equips me the most to live a life which represents my core beliefs and inner convictions to love my neighbor as myself.
How do you find time to meditate and cope with today's fast paced connectedness?
Thank you for reading!
This post took more than five minutes but the flow just continued. Freewriting comes with freedom!
This is a freewrite from @mariannewest using today's prompt meditation.
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