This past summer I had an opportunity to read a few books and I found myself completely engrossed in books about walking. I know it sounds odd to read about walking but as an individual that LOVES to walk I was surprised to learn how much walking has influenced our world. Classic literature wouldn't be where it is today if it wasn't for walking. Nietzsche, Rousseau, Thoreau, and Whitman used walking as a means to clear their minds or to ponder great thoughts.
Now you might think I'm headed in the direction of suggesting a walk today (which is always a great idea) but that would be too obvious. Instead I'm turning to an idea that really grabbed me this summer in one of those many books I read.
“We must really mange one day to do without ‘news’. Reading the newspapers in fact only tells us what we didn’t yet know. And that is exactly what we are looking for: something new. But what we didn’t yet know is exactly what we forget immediately. Because as soon as we know it, we have to leave room for what we don’t yet know, which will come tomorrow...
When you walk, news becomes unimportant. Soon you have lost all knowledge of the world and its gymnastics, the most recent own goal, the latest scandal. You no longer await the surprise development, or want to hear how it really all began, or what happened in the end...
After walking far and long, you can even come to wonder in surprise how you could ever have been interested in it. The slow respiration of things makes everyday huffing and puffing appear vain, unhealthy agitation.”
I spent the summer at a cabin without a t.v., no newspaper, and very little internet. That constant need to know feeling disappears rather quickly. It's funny how little time it takes to adapt to a life without the news. Without the distraction of the t.v. it seems as if you've been given the gift of time.
Upon returning to our home this fall, we decided to disconnect the t.v. I knew that as soon as I had access to a t.v. I would be back to watching the news every night. Have you ever noticed that the news captures all the bad things happening in the world. Can you think of one time recently that the news began with a wonderful thing that happened today?
Yet we feel compelled to be "connected" and "to know what's going on in the world." Why? Why must we be connected to all that negativity. Are we going to change it by knowing it's happening? Will it continue if you opt out of listening to it? Why can't we be connected to a positive community? One that represents the good in people?
Peace tip #6.
Unplug today. You choose to what degree. Perhaps it's the news (t.v., radio, internet, print), Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. You may find that unplugging from the constant negative and angry messages presented in the media brings you a great sense of peace. And don't worry that you'll miss anything because the news will be there tomorrow. Having given yourself the gift of time you might even find that you want to go for a walk.
May your stitches and steps be filled with peace and quiet...
Christina