The "violence" of being too busy

"There is a pervasive form of contemporary violence…overwork. The rush and pressure of modern life are a form, perhaps the most common form of innate violence. To allow
oneself to be carried away by a multitude of conflicting concerns, to surrender to too many demands, to commit oneself to too many projects, to want to help everyone and everything, is to succumb to violence. The frenzy...destroys our own inner capacity for peace. It destroys the fruitfulness of our own work because it kills the root of inner wisdom which makes work fruitful.” Thomas Merton

Symptoms of Inner Peace

Some Signs of Inner Peace:
• A tendency to think and act spontaneously rather than on fears based on past experiences.

• An unmistakable ability to enjoy each moment.

• A loss of interest in judging other people and in interpreting their actions.

• A loss of interest in conflict.

• A loss of the ability to worry (very Serious Symptom!)

• Frequent, overwhelming episodes of appreciation.

• Frequent attacks of smiling (Also very Serious).

• An increasing tendency to let things happen, rather than to make them happen.

• An increased susceptibility to the love extended by others and the uncontrollable urge to extend it.

Saskia Davis, author

for more symptoms and info on the author visit here.

The Inner World

I sit. I wait. I recharge.

But instead of basking in the sunshine like Wall-e (in his namesake movie), I bask in silence. I sit and wait. New ideas will flow in-eventually. I know this process well.

But this morning, after a hectic week, my recharging is taking longer and I'm slow to access new insights. My psyche is “processing” the week but I can't yet hear my intuitive voice. Vast stores of information are hidden from me, just outside my consciousness.

So I sit. I wait. My mind wanders or sits blank. I'm “sharpening my saw,” (a la Stephen Covey). It feels great and I know this “idle” time will pay large dividends in future creativity and insights.

I stare at a beautiful pine tree. I am here, now. The tree speaks of strength and patience and the spring approaching. I notice the branches waving in the wind and the gray sky. I hear my chimes and birds. I feel grateful for this moment as I draw near my soul.

How do you recharge?

Have You Seen Steve Jobs Stanford Speech?

Real wisdom that is worth contemplating.

Chicago Tribune Confirms my Bias--Silence heals.

Maybe you'll want to experiment with silent days too? Here's the Trib article. I'd love to hear your experiences too.

Millions of Voices

twitter

Frenetic freelancers clamoring to be heard above the collective din.  Twittering, blogging, texting.  How can I stand out?  I feel lost in a stampede of fantastic articles telling me how to market my training.  Where to focus?  Learn to do internal and external links on my blog? Write press releases?  Read training materials, do direct mail, or visit my Linkedin groups?

I’ve arrived too late to this party.  How can I ever catch up?    

The volume of brilliant voices thrills and overwhelms me.  So much talent in the world!  Where do I fit in?

Maturity is recognizing my limits.  If I do good work, the rest should take care of itself, yes?

The question that keeps me sane and focused is:  how can I best serve others?

 How do you stay grounded in today's frenzied world?

 

 

The Power of Silence

Rick and I have given up television—again. The house is once again, blissfully silent. I feel calmer and, even though I rarely sat and watched programs, I seem to have much more time now. Even as background sound the noisy box was grabbing my attention-- just enough to slow me down.

We’re not abstaining completely. We’ve learned, from previous idealism, what’s practical and what won’t fly. We’ll watch the news, and an occasional sporting event. Netflix videos are fair game. But we’ve gone back to a mostly tv-free peacefulness. I used to think that I was making the most of my time. Instead of simply folding laundry in silence, I was learning too. News or cooking programs were adding value to my life. Was it the multitasking or simply the never-ending sound that exhausted me?

I know we’ll be tempted. At the end of a long hard day at work, we’ve loved vegging out with “Law and Order.” But, just like overindulging in deep dish pizza or scotch, too much tv doesn’t feel good. I know from experience, if I fight the urge, I’ll read more or just sit and relax in silence. Without fail, when I sit in silence for any length of time, I’ll have that “aha” moment—an invaluable insight from a deeper part of myself.

I think we’ll succeed this time, not because our willpower is greater (that never works), but because we’ve learned (through trial and error) how much tv is food and how much is poison. Like learning to love exercise or salads, we have learned to crave the silence in our home. It revitalizes and restores us.

What is your experience of television?

Incubating

I sit in the sun on a warm winter day, soaking up vitamin D and images of blue sky. After a hard work-week, I wait for my conscious and unconscious minds to reconnect-- like lovers who've been apart-these two just want to gaze upon each other, silently. I feel like a third party to this scene, wondering what is happening as I sit doing the "nothing" I've so desperately craved.

I sit while Mind wanders. Although I have many (mostly pleasant) chores that beckon, I ignore them. My most important task is to listen for my soul's voice. I've been too busy to hear its subtle message and now, like an athlete who's had to miss training for a week, I'm hungry to resume meditation.

How lucky to have unstructured time! But it isn't only luck; I've been determined to secure this. I'll downsize if necessary-- to preserve a healthy balance of work and rest. It's vital for my well-being and the discovery of my own genius. Stephen Covey agrees-- taking regular downtime is his Habit 7 - "Sharpening the Saw."

So I sit and let Mind wander. Today it seems that I will never get enough of this "do nothing" time. But I trust the process. My extremely demanding schedule--is that why I seem so starved for quiet? From experience, I know I'll eventually move from "ebb" to "flow." Then I'll have one of my "aha" moments and a seemingly new idea will burst forth.

Meanwhile, I trust and wait. Both Jungian psychology and current brain science suggest that much of our thinking and many of our perceptions happen below consciousness. So, even though I can't know what goes on in these hidden areas of my psyche, I can help myself by believing in what can't be seen or measured. I can help myself by resting and listening to the still, quiet voice inside.