Skip to main content

Plugged in or plugged out???

Scott a friend/ colleague of mine asked me to give him feedback on his nascent blog... and in doing so one of his articles touched a cord with me regarding the choices we make to be engaged or to avoid being engaged. 

That article, about the use of earphones/music while exercising speaks to his purpose for coaching and demonstrates absolutely his expertise and the passion for what he does..... but the element that struck a cord most for me and my experience with working with people is 'what are you avoiding when plugged in,' or why are you plugging out?

When we chose to plug in our ear phones and listen to music... are we actively seeking to hear music or are we seeking to be plugged-out? To get some 'space,' some 'time out?' To avoid making conversation, to avoid feelings of discomfort or loneliness.


If you are plugging-in because at that moment in time you want to listen to music and enjoy the emotional journey music takes you on then go for it... enjoy the moment.


However, if what you are doing is plugging-out, then you are avoiding something, falsely creating a space or pleasure or disengaging with your reality, with your here and now. And in plugging-out you risk not dealing with or engaging with your real world or the real people in it.


So... if you are plugging out, ask yourself why? Are you avoiding something or someone? Are you avoiding pain, discomfort, loneliness? Are you trying to create space or time out? Or are you just doing what the majority of people you observe are doing and want to simply fit in- (are you being a sheep)?

And once you identify why you are plugging-out decide what you want to do about it, and maybe chose to be totally unplugged a little more often.

After all our own everyday reality is actually hard to beat when we know how to live in it and chose to be engaged with it.....

For more information about Scott or his article go to.....

http://whatspossible.com.au/bodymind/how-a-10-year-old-girl-made-my-heart-sink-trying-to-do-the-right-thing/



 

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Challenging routines

All of us have them.... but how often do we challenge their usefulness?  Routines allow us to do things quickly and efficiently, make us feel comfortable with our environment and existence and generally take us through life...... but what happens when a routine becomes a barrier to change?? We allow our habits and routines to prevent us from making a different choice, from trying something new, from changing, from losing weight, from exercising more, from...... (fill in your own blank here). So as Spring approaches (Autumn in the Northern hemisphere) it is time to clean out those habits- or at least challenge them... think through your routine and decide which bits are helpful and which are not.... I will be swapping my habitual pre work coffee in front of the computer for 10 mins of meditation. Although the coffee is lovely I don't need that extra 10 mins in front of the computer- the jobs will still get done, and I don't seem to be able to find the time to meditat...

It's a dog's life....

While I was watching this rather cute woofter enjoying basking in the winter sun I got to thinking a little.... What is my equivalent of 'a dog's life.' What is the ultimate simple pleasure and enjoyment????? Making the first fresh steps in snow (not that I get to do that very often anymore!!)  The smell of coffee first thing in the morning...? Reading the paper in the middle of the day with a cup of tea....? Fresh brewed tea using leaves and a proper teapot!!? Hearing the rain on the roof...? Walking in the early morning while the sun is coming up???? Anyway.... what is your simple pleasure.... let me know.... I would like to know what simple things we can do every day and acknowledge them as a precious moment.... Maybe with enough of them we can fill a whole week with pleasure...

What 10 things do you do well?

We are generally very good at knowing what we need to do better but very very bad at being able to say we do something  well..   "I should do more exercise."  "I could communicate more."  "I need to get better at time management."  "I should work on my presentation skills." "I need/ should...... (add your own in here!!!) It is time to put a different perspective on it. After all you didn't get to the ripe old age of (add here whatever age you feel like being), without managing to do some things well.... the tricky part is being able to remember what they are. So grab that coffee, find somewhere quiet and write down/think of 10 things you do well.... just 10..... Oh and fight the temptation to be glib..... so..... 'I am good at being on facebook' doesn't count.... but... 'I am good at keeping in touch with people' does!!!  The reality is that remembering and stating what we are good at is much harder than it sound...