Separating the wheat from the chaff
The more that we consume.. the more we read, and watchā¦ eat
The more we do.. speakā¦
The more external stimuli there is.. the more distraction.
The harder it becomes to figure out whatās really here. Whatās really us.. figure out who we are.. know ourselves..
Now not only do we have to sort out things that are unavoidable by just being aliveā¦ but we then ADD ONā¦ we put more on our plate
The mind stretches itself thin trying to sort every piece of information we feed itā¦ and when it can no longer handle the loadā¦ it stopsā¦ it acceptsā¦ thereās no more āfinding oneselfā after thisā¦ itād be ike finding the needle in the haystack
Alternatively.. instead of frantically trying to fill every minute of our lives with activity.. with distraction (perhaps distraction from taking the time to sort ourselves out)ā¦ we wield our consciousness. We take the time to sort whatās coming in and make decisions whether we continue to let it in. Scrolling on social mediaā¦ what we watch on tv, what we eat or PURCHASEā¦ who we spend time with ..
There wonāt always be time to decide before each decision whether we continue or notā¦ whether we do thisā¦ do that, think this, feel thatā¦ go there, stay hereā¦ thatās why we have instinct. It helps us make these decisions without exhausting so much time and mental energy.
however ideally.. when the dust has settled from our day to dayā¦ or even from traumaā¦ stressā¦ AND excitementā¦ we reflectā¦ we go back through our memories and carefully pick the ripe onesā¦ saving them.. and simply leave the rotting ones in our mind to compost and later provide nutrients for the memories that are yet to be madeā¦ to free up the energy to go have new experiences AND continue to cultivate what is core.. what is us.
We never get this opportunity if most of what we take on is trashā¦ if we take in too much and become unable to sort through itā¦
You could spend all day meditating on one thing that happened yesterdayā¦ 1 THING! You can take every little thing and dig until you hit bedrockā¦ so if we mindlessly go through life ā¦ we donāt give ourselves the opportunity to find this bedrockā¦ to find what is solid in usā¦ we donāt find ourselves
this is why insteadā¦ we go through life mindfully. As slow as we canā¦ but as quick as we need to. Allowing ourselves to taste the food we eat. Smell the roses.. love.. careā¦ and search for experiences that are meaningfulā¦ spending our time in ways that are meaningful.. and continuing to cultivate the ability to separate whatās meaningful, from whatās not.