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I came across the following passage in my daily reading of one of my favorite books, “The Daily Stoic,” by Ryan Holiday:
“Instinctively, we protect our physical selves. We don’t let people touch us, push us around, control where we go. But when it comes to the mind, we’re less disciplined. We hand it over willingly to social media, to television, to what other people are doing, thinking, or saying. We sit down to work and the next thing you know, we’re browsing the Internet. We sit down with our families, but within minutes we have our phones out. We sit down peacefully in a park, but instead of looking inward, we’re judging people as they pass by.”
I reflect on this passage often and try to maintain awareness of this tendency (we all have it), to freely and willingly “give our mind” to others and other things. It is ALWAYS A CHOICE in the moment, although the inertia of habit often usurps that choice. The trick is to discipline and train ourselves to stay aware of this tendency and take conscious control of our mind, our thinking, our attention, and our focus.
How often do you let other people and other things — news, social media, gossip, etc. — HIJACK YOUR MIND? Stop … make better choices “in the moment” and pay as much attention to “protecting your mind” as you do protecting your body.
What action will you commit to today to refrain from giving away your mind?
Andy Robinson, Executive Coach
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