We have all seen depictions of the 3 monkeys holding their hands over their eyes, ears, and mouth reminding us to see, hear, and speak no evil. Obviously the words that come from our mouth, what we speak, are a reflection of everything we have seen and heard. Some events we did not choose to see or hear. Things happen right before our eyes and ears that we would have chosen not to experience.
But, the question for all of us: 1 ) What are we voluntarily viewing and listening to that we have purposely selected and we do have control over? 2) How are we interpreting the things that have happened in our lives and that we see and hear each day? What are we assuming is "true" because that's what we have been "brought up" to believe or that is what someone is telling us to believe?
There are no shortages of opinions today. We have TVs with hundreds of stations, computers with access to the world at our fingertips, radios, and Podcasts. And who isn't constantly attached to their cell phone? Texts, E-mail, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and other forms of modern communication. Folks, all this wasn't around a couple of decades ago. In the past, we had more time to ourselves to THINK and figure things out on our own without the constant connection to everyone else.
In my pursuit to be the best version I am capable of being, I have become more aware of the constant bombardment of visual and auditory messages. People telling me how I should "feel" about something and what I should "have" or "do" to be happy. It has lead me to become more discerning about what I view and listen to. My husband Dr. Jeff Waxman and I stopped watching all TV sitcoms, talk shows, and night time comedy programs many years ago, and we rarely go out to a movie. I'm not saying all TV shows and movies are worthless. I am saying that we have only so much time each day, and it behooves us to look at what we are viewing and ask ourselves: "Is this worth my precious time? Could I be spending this time doing beneficial things for myself and others, or reading or viewing something that would increase my health and happiness?" Could I turn everything off for a few minutes each day and meditate on what is really important, stopping to be grateful for all my blessings and what I am truly called to do.
By keeping the TV turned OFF and not viewing numerous movies each year, we have time to view educational and motivational programs that inform and inspire us to be better, pursue things that will improve the quality of our life, and have time each day to reflect, pray, and/or meditate. There are great courses and programs available (The Great Courses, spiritual programs, courses on cooking, fitness, finances, emotional well-being and other topics). So many, we will never have time to get to all of them.
It's not only what we watch or view. It's what we read. You definitely won't see any celebrity gossip magazines in my house or sexually explicit romance novels. Here again, there is so much enlightening, instructive, and inspiring material to read, there is no way I will ever be able to get to it all. I started a book club a couple of years ago so I would be encouraged to read 10 to 12 books a year that otherwise I may not have gotten to. I have learned so much from reading books such as Man's Search for Meaning, The Alchemist, Nightingale, Unbroken, The Aviators Wife, The Wright Brothers, The Obstacle is the Way, Tribe, The Power of Habit, The Life We Bury. There are so many books on people who have accomplished great, sometimes heroic deeds, or overcome horrific obstacles, or books that have valuable life messages. I don't have time to read stuff that distracts me from being the person I am called to be. Reading great books and discussing them with my wonderful friends helps me do a better job of Living WELL Aware.
Oh, you don't like to read? Get the audiobook version! You don't have time to read for hours each day? Neither do I. Jeff and I start out each day reading a couple of pages in The Daily Stoic by Ryan Holiday and God Calling edited by A. J. Russell, followed by meditation. We find it much more uplifting and informative than the morning talk shows!
See no evil. Hear no evil.
SPEAK no evil. What you view and listen to will influence what you say and what you do. If your day is filled with watching and listening to people who continually judge others or dysfunctional, negative images and words, you are more likely to be influenced by those messages. If your world is full of positive, uplifting, healthy messages, you are more likely to create a vision of a greater self that will say and do worthy deeds. To paraphrase a common biblical saying: Question everything. Retain what is good. Scrutinize what you see, hear, and say. It's about Living WELL Aware.
Let's improve the quality of our lives by evaluating how much time we spend every day: 1) watching TV, 2) searching the internet to purchase items or seek entertainment, 3) on Facebook / Twitter / Instagram, and 4) reading magazines and books that don't inform and instruct but distract. Compare that to the amount of time we spend: 1) working on important relationships, 2) helping others, 3) in physical fitness, or 4) reading educational material that could improve our physical, emotional, financial, social, and spiritual health.
The healthiest, happiest people
INVEST in
WELLNESS. They scrutinize what they watch on TV, what they read, the movies they view, what they listen to, and what they say. They look for good sources of information to improve their physical, emotional, and spiritual health. And, they LOVE IT. I submit that our lives are too important to be wasted away with reading and viewing material that does not elevate us to a greater state of well-being.
Need a wellness lift? We ALL do! Here's a great opportunity for you to do just that. Plan on attending the newly revised
Jeff and I are blessed to be able to conduct several conferences each year as fundraisers for organizations that help those in need. We don't have other such events on the calendar so make plans to attend on the 25th - with your family, friends, coworkers. Get heathier and happier AND help those in need. What a deal! It's about Living WELL Aware.
ONWARD!
