I’m an obsessive studier. If I don’t pull myself away from the computer, well. . . I’m likely to stay on it most of the day and night. The virtually limitless possibilities of all the information there is like crack to an addict.
There is always another blog post to read. There is always the possibility of a Tweet with an enlightening link. When not on the computer, I’ll probably be listening to a podcast that I might learn from or read a book.
But, it’s only the time I’m apart from the information stream that there is the possibility of being creative. It’s necessary to assimilate all that information, to step back and let it percolate, let the ideas connect in order to create something new. Filling my head with other peoples’ thoughts makes it impossible to have my own.
Looking for information elsewhere is what I get a break from when I practice mindfulness. What I know, but what I can’t seem to remember, is that everything I need to know is right in front of me all the time. All I have to do is look at it mindfully. What I also know, but this one’s even harder to remember, is that it is also inside me, and that’s why I practice mindfulness.
