“I am a big believer in going back to the basics of reading books to help slow my thinking.” - James McPartland
What do you feed yourself with?
Many of us begin the day by waking up and checking our iPhones. “What’s happening today?”, we ask the internet…
Yet with news and information at our fingertips, we would do well to be more responsible with the quality of the information we allow ourselves to digest.
Yes, we should stay informed about what’s happening in the world, but the media is often biased and seems to favor the negative over the good. A constant feed of negative stories can have a huge impact on our minds, affect even our concentration and productivity.
So how do you not get overwhelmed by it all?
By developing the practice of slowing down our minds.
Reading a book with a journal close by. Write down what sticks out to you. This can help slow down your thinking, allowing the mind to process thoughts more effectively.
What should I read?
Engage with stories about people
who’ve made huge impacts against the most incredible odds. (I admire the works done by Mandela, am inspired by the journey of Martin Luther King and am in awe of what Gandhi and Alexander the Great have accomplished. All great people who’ve pushed past insurmountable odds.)
Seek to understand what other remarkable individuals were thinking about when they accomplished great feats, and how they thought about it.
Ask yourself as you learn about the journey of others: How do they feed their mind? How do they guard their minds against conversations that too frequently generate a level of fear?
When the world around us becomes overwhelming it’s important for us to recall the lessons of others that can inspire us to learn from them and think about how they would overcome the kinds of obstacles we currently face.
So who inspires you, friend? How do you think they would react to the world we’re living in? And what can you learn from them today?
