Take Time Out

"The best thinking has been done in solitude. The worst has been done in turmoil." --Thomas Edison

We are receiving an incredible amount of information today from a vast number of sources...How can we ever keep up? How can we remember everything we think we should remember? How can we remember what others expect us to remember?

We can't. It's that simple. We just can't. Too much information is coming at us all at once; it's overwhelming.

Sometimes we get so overloaded that we can't even remember our own telephone number! And there are times when some of us feel afraid. We wonder if we are losing our memories or developing Alzheimer's disease. When we are under stress, the overload feels all the more oppressive.

When precious time alone is a regular part of our daily life, we can minimize the effects of data overload. We can maintain a sense of calmness without ever allowing ourselves to become overly stressed. We stay balanced and centered. It becomes easier to weed out the important from the trivial. When we maintain a sense of inner peace and tranquility, outside pressures are less apt to bother us.

This may be an "ideal" because when leading a full and busy life maintaining inner peace and tranquility at all times is impossible for most of us. I know of no one who is fully present in the world who can accomplish this ideal. Even when we are away from the activities of the world, such as at a retreat or on a vacation, the bombardment of our own thoughts can disturb our peace of mind.

When we find ourselves on overload, it's time to take an important action: withdraw. Even if we have only five minutes, we need to stop. Change what we're doing. Take a walk. Meditate. Get away physically, if not mentally. Begin supper. Do any one of the number of things...

When I find myself stressed and confused I can stop and take some time for myself. In the quiet time I can give my mind a rest and not demand from it more than it can handle. I can be gentle with myself.

Information Overload From Precious Solitude, by Ruth Fishel
www.spirithaven. com