How often do I cede what to think about to others? The ubiquity of advertisements takes away much of my choice when it comes to where my attention goes. But often, I do have the choice. Every time I open up social media or subscribe to an email list, I am letting someone else decide what will occupy my mind for a period of time. It feels innocuous at the moment it is occurring but is it healthy when 12 or 24 hours later, I am still thinking about some random bit of information I let in?
The thing is, thoughts are little pebbles that roll downhill dislodging larger stones as they go until there is an avalanche. I often find myself buried in thoughts and unable to find the way out. An innocent glance at a Facebook post can lead to hours of researching a topic I never knew I had any interest in. Before I know it, the day is full of pursuing the thoughts and interests of someone else instead of my own.
I should be more mindful of how many times I open the door for new inputs to come in. I should be careful about the sources and ask myself if I am really getting any benefit from them. I want quality over quantity but I keep choosing quantity. I keep swimming in the shallow end of the pool of information when what I long for is to go deep.
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