Sitting

There is always another email and another tweet to read. The inbound is never ending. The question is, When is the last time you sat with your own thoughts? When we read or hear something that flips the lights on, how long do you just sit with that moment of connection before you scroll to the next thing?

We have a bad habit of wanting to be constantly entertained. When we are sitting in silence on the road, we reach for the radio. When we are sitting in the waiting room, we reach for a magazine. It’s human nature. Silence brings tension. Partially because we are uncomfortable with our own thought patterns. Perhaps we just don’t like the feeling of being bored. Of course, that feeling of lacking interest doesn’t last forever. Eventually, your mind begins to wander and imagine possibility. (There is a reason why good ideas come while in the shower.)

When is the last time you left your phone at home just to see what happens? I’m 34 and it was only 20 years ago where it was that teens didn’t have access to the internet all the time. Most teens today are shocked to learn that phone companies used to charge us for every text we sent. A lot has changed.

I’m not sure what the frequency of “Aha” moments occur. But I do know the more present we are, the more likely you will be struck by lightning.