Day 216/366 days Towards Self-Mastery.
It's seriously weird, this pull towards the television. There is so much that is entertaining and even just so incredibly ridiculous available to consume that it's easy to find oneself glued for hours at a time to nothing but nonsense.
Sometime in the last couple of decades I realised the grip that this evening occupation had on me, and I'll give myself credit for taking the time to consider what else I could be doing in that time.
It was an easy shift when I had work to catch up on, but that wasn't the answer either.
Those hours in the evening could be spent leaning into your creative pursuits. Or reading and gaining new knowledge, connecting with friends, reinventing yourself, inventing something new to bring to the world. So many possibilities.
Nowadays I know it's not a good idea to phone people in the evening. There was a time when that was when I would make those long and luscious phone calls with old friends.
Television, although challenged by social media and devices for airtime, still seems to dominate family homes. How much are we missing when we're glued to this form of entertainment/propaganda/brainwashing stories of everything that's wrong or weird with the world.
In spite of having distracted myself from the evening background hum or news and nonsense, I recently discovered that I was hesitant to give my television away. That television had been a prominent item in my home for so long, it felt as though it had a right to belong. It graced the small sideboard in my living space with very little elegance. Wondering what else might stand there was the impetus for moving it on.
At these challenging times with Coronovirus in the news, and all manner of other disasters reported ad infinitum, television is not your friend.
There is so much good happening in the world, so many people recovering well from the virus, so much happening in technology and advances in medical and other sciences that we never hear about. Instead of immersing yourself in a diet of evening television, why not use your devices to research news of interest to you.
Or be selective, record the programmes that are interesting, informative and challenging to your thinking and watch them at a time that doesn't distract from relationship building and connecting with family.
It was in the sixties when television first came into our family home. Memorable because it had such a dramatic impact on our family evening activities. Instead of playing cards, board games, or doing homework together, conversations ceased and connections went quiet.
At the time I was about 6 or 7 years of age and easily recall the loneliness that this device brought into my life. In disgust I left the living room to go outside to play on the swing set, fell and broke my arm. I was wrapped up, taken to the local hospital, xrayed, anaesthetised with ether to have my arm set, and hospitalised before anyone even realised I was gone from the house.
Our home and family were never the same and I do believe we lost a lot connection from that time. Notably, programming wasn't the 24/7 menu that it is today.
There's still no better way than to engage in a family activity when you are together to build those important connections. Time spent this way supports the healthy maturing of your children's nervous systems and emotional and mental abilities, strengthens bonds and builds conscious communities.
Maybe this week, take some time to consider what else is possible.
366 days Towards Self-Mastery
When I considered my New Year's intentions for 2020 I had just one: To allow my heart to love what it loved...and let it lead me. (If not now, then when?)
I've spent months working on integrating my life. To live life more fully with my home life, my interests, my work, my responsibilities, all coming together, all connected. I want to give each the attention that they desire and need, and still have time and energy for the others. That means living and working from the heart.
As I was clearing out my bookshelf over the Christmas break I discovered Simple Abundance. I set it aside to explore it on New Year's Day as I lazed through another delicious day of nothingness. Sarah, the author, says this book is about living in grace. Living in grace I realised, is about Self-Mastery.
My thirst for understanding the human condition has driven me all my life, and hand-in-hand with self-mastery it has been a life-long goal. And seeing as I love to write, that living in grace is about self-mastery, and I love a bit of a challenge, then if I am truly going to let my heart lead, I really don't have any other choice. So scary as it feels, I'm starting out on a daily mission of leaning into the suggestions of this daybook and making a daily post to keep me accountable. If not now, then when?
I'm Josie. You can find out a little more about me here.
Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy: by Sarah Ban Breathnach.
This book is written for the Australian and NZ market because it refers to seasonal changes. It's available on Amazon here if you'd like to follow along.