Today I have decided that for the next 30 days I am going to restrict how I interact with the Internet. I have found myself recently getting sucked into reading all sorts of Yahoo articles and picture portfolios that are mostly drivel. I look at these articles/pictures when I am on a conference call, talking to family or a friend, bored or when stressed. At the end of each little dose, I am not wiser, smarter, funnier or more at peace with my life but instead I have simply consumed my precious time with a non-value add activity. Moreover, when I have resorted to surfing while doing something else I have taken myself out of trying to be mindful with the current activity at hand. So for the next 30 days I am going to do my best to avoid any Internet surfing unless it is required for work or I am trying to look up information for a meaningful exercise or task. I am also going to limit my blog followings to only 5 during this time period – focusing on quality instead of quantity.
I know I am going to forget along the way but as soon as I realize that I have strayed off this beaten path, I will close the browser and refocus to the present moment. It is no different than trying to meditate and the mind starts to wonder back to the past or to the future. When that happens you recognize the ‘stray’ and bring yourself back to your breath and/or surroundings depending on the meditation exercise. So the same principle should work here too.
So long to finding out which celebrity has changed their hair style, who wore it best or the worst dressed celebrities, whether the Canadian mint should have changed the $100 bill to avoid race stereotyping, or the latest weight loss secrets. I don’t think I will be disadvantaged for this lack of exposure and if anything I will only be better off for it.
dreamabiglife 