Mental Tension and The Digital World
Three thoughts:
If you believe that every moment of tension in your mind is always someone else’s fault, then it will be difficult to feel substantial happiness or real peace. The ocean of life will push you here and there until you turn on the motor of your boat and sail through the waves that try to hold you back. There are undoubtedly hard moments in life, but the movements of your mind do not have to remain unconscious; with effort you can become aware of how your perception is affecting how you feel. When you take ownership over your mind by realizing how much it is your own reactions that make difficult moments much harder than they need to be, it starts a process of rebirth where you become the empowered protagonist of your life story. The way you react is not set in stone, it is malleable. The same way it was conditioned and hardened over time, it can be unbound and loosened with intentional action. How you perceive things does not always have to be dictated by what happened in the past, you can become more attuned to the present by bringing your mind out of your imagination and into what is actually happening inside of you and in front of you. Accepting responsibility for your healing and happiness is incredibly difficult, but it is the only path available to us that can lead to inner peace, mental clarity, and sustainable happiness. Building the foundation for a better life starts with what is happening inside of your mind. People may push and test you, but cultivating a pillar of inner balance will help you remain sturdy when the world outside of you is chaotic.
Too many confuse the fleeting sensation of pleasure for real happiness. Pleasure is a momentary feeling activated through our sense doors (seeing, tasting, hearing, thinking, etc.) that is given a positive valuation by our perception. Pleasure quickly becomes the object of our craving, putting us in a loop where we want more but never really feel satisfied. Happiness is more substantial, it is a mental state of contentment and balance, where our attention is on the present moment instead of getting caught in the loop of craving for more. We simply immerse ourselves in what is happening and feel the joy that naturally emerges when the mind is no longer judging things. Pleasure often arrives from external sources or thoughts of the future and past; happiness arises from within when the mind peacefully connects with the present moment without the need to adjust things or critique them. The default mode of the mind is survival, meaning it is mainly motivated by fear, craving, aversion and self-centeredness – this is the initial layer of human habit. When you train the mind to observe things as they are, to take in reality without projecting your emotions onto it or without trying to control it, happiness will become more available to you – this is how you open yourself up to your loving human nature. Happiness requires intentional action, healing, letting go, and teaching the mind to settle into the present moment. Only the effort that comes from you can activate your happiness.
Our challenge as modern people is to look beyond the superficial and see the subtle truth that carries more depth. On a daily basis we are inundated with information that is narrowed down into bite size pieces that are designed to make us feel certain ways. It is easier to just let your emotions be moved by the information you encounter, but that would be unhealthy and it would not support your power. The digital world will play with the range of your emotional spectrum as if it were a piano. Information is rarely presented objectively; it will come packaged within a narrative that is often hiding in the background. The presentation of information will often reduce its complexity and carry a sensationalized tone for the sake of clicks and views. We live in a time where truth is scarce, but perspectives are abundant. Misinformation is rampant because attention literally creates profit. When you understand that your attention is precious and that the whole digital world is competing for it, it will help you be more careful with it. You have to be critical and intentional if you don’t want to be told what to believe. If you look a little deeper, there is more to the story. If you take a step back, there is more to consider in the chain of events that occurred to make this moment happen. Every event and every individual carries complexity. Many causes come together to create each moment of existence.
Clarity & Connection:
My new book, Clarity & Connection, is now seven weeks old!
You can get a copy through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop, Book Depository for international orders, and at your local bookstore. Amazon is fully restocked and has plenty copies of C&C.
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Journal Prompt:
What is your relationship like with social media and the internet? Can you see the way it impacts your mood? What do you think your mind and life would be like if the internet did not exist?
Links:
Clarity & Connection Barnes & Noble