Take The Time

When I look around and see many of the things happening in the world I often wonder, what do we really understand. From the chemical warfare in Syria to the government shut down in the US. It is so easy to sit back and throw judgement. But do we really know what we are judging? I know I don’t. Media seems to control what we see and what we hear. Not sure I have seen any media that actually reports an unbiased opinion.

And, quite frankly, I am not convinced that I am unbiased. My thoughts, feelings and beliefs are formed by a certain belief factor. They are shaped by things I hear. By things I see or watch. They are controlled by certain emotions that become involved when I read things. So to suggest I am open minded would probably be somewhat overstated. Although I do try, particularly in my work as a mediator.

It is difficult and sometimes impossible to understand the emotions we experience on a daily basis. We react to circumstances and often times wonder where that came from. We would like to think we live in a normal world but know that is not the case. At least if we understand what normal is. And perhaps we don’t. What really is normal aside from a setting on a dryer.
Modern technology is doing its part in making us confused. We live with the assumption that all this technology is beneficial. We need computers. We need cell phones. We should be part of Twitter, Linkedin, and Facebook. We feel the need to be in tune with the world around us. Last night we stopped at Superstore to pick up some supplies. My job is to patiently push the cart and ensure that I stop and wait whenever necessary. I like to observe people. I was astonished at how many people were doing there shopping while chatting on their phones. Take a look around you next time you are in a restaurant. So many people are ignoring the world around them, ignoring family and friends, forgetting about effective communication. Forgetting about relationships.

We get caught up. We become immersed. When do we take the time to sit back and enjoy life? We upgrade our satellite TV. We follow all there is to follow on our computers. We download apps. We scamper hither and yon to keep up. We become anxious. We become frustrated. We want more. We need more.

Stop. Think about this. What are we really accomplishing? What are we doing for ourselves? For our families? Are we taking the time we should? I heard someone suggest today that we should be “resetting” ourselves as often as we reset our technology. We should be “downloading” “new apps” for ourselves as often as we download apps for our phones or computers. That means we need to take time to fill our emotional gas tanks. We need to work on our relationships. We need to utilize mindfulness as we deal with our day to day challenges. How else do we really expect to survive. To flourish. And to succeed. Take this thought with you. “Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success.” And to be truly happy we need to learn to let go, to take time, and to enjoy life. Make it a good one.