Can you choose?

It’s impossible to absorb or process all the numerous e-mails, invitations, blogs and messages that we receive, and most of us don’t try. But what if there were a greater, collective purpose to it all than we think? What if the overwhelm itself were the key issue of our times?

Where we’re coming from

We’re moving from an era of institutionalized thinking, wherein we’re told what to think and believe (by parents, teachers, religion), how to address particular problems (whether it’s through litigation, mediation or manipulation), and who to see if we’re sick (such as doctors, psychiatrists, etc), to an era of free choice, whereby we, as individuals, must decide what’s best for us and what we need to know in order to make healthy choices and decisions.

The challenge of personal choice

With the Internet, we have all the information and resources we need at our fingertips. But most of us have never been taught how to actively choose what’s best for us, since the mentality, up to now, has been one of deference to authority and reliance on experts to tell us how to proceed. We expect doctors to fix us when we’re sick; we expect therapists to help us understand and process our thoughts and feelings; we expect politicians to fix the economy; and we defer to lawyers, philosophers and even psychics for help in resolving challenges or conflict.

Why are we overwhelmed?

When we’re faced with all the options available to us via the Net, how can we begin to know what’s best for us or how to make healthy choices? We’re challenged not just to make the most appropriate decisions for our personal and professional needs, but also to focus on what truly serves us and frees us up to live better lives. The ability to make healthy boundaries is a key requirement in this new mode of operation. Without it, we quickly become dispersed and mentally/emotionally fragmented. By getting caught up in the plethora of options and the vast amount of data constantly coming at us, we’re missing the point.

What IS the point?

Choice, discernment and focus: these are the keys to surviving – and thriving – in our Internet-driven world, if we’re to stay sane and on track with our lives. And learning how to process our choices through our bodies, rather than our minds, is a skill that’s invaluable for anyone who truly wants to take charge of themselves and their lives.