Managing Distractions

“All of humanity's problems stem from man's inability to sit quietly in a room alone.” - Pascal

If you are like me you want distractions in your life.  

Perhaps you feel you owe yourself an hour or two in front of the TV after a hard days work. Perhaps you enjoy a good book and believe that no soak in the bath or bedtime would be complete without your favourite reading material.  Some of us are wired up for socialising and spend most of our free time with friends. Some of us just can't leave our computers or smart devices alone - what are our mates up to on Facebook?  What's the latest scoop on Twitter or Instagram? 

Of course any of the above may actually be good for you, but, as Paul points out, while everything might be permissible, not everything is beneficial.  It depends on the circumstances.

So when does a pleasurable pastime become a distraction?

• When it hinders the discipline of "sitting quietly in a room alone" at least once every few days.

• When we can't do without it, even when it's inconvenient to self and nauseating to others 

Yet in a strange way distractions are the general anaesthetic that dulls the aches and pains of reality. 

There's nothing like a fast to remind you of this.  We're currently in the middle of a three-dayer and I've decided to give Facebook a miss for the duration and if possible for longer.  If possible.  As though avoiding Facebook were impossible.

But today I was reminded Just how much I crave and seek out distractions.

It was a fairly light day work-wise so I was in a position to swim, take an afternoon nap and, at 4pm, go for a walk with the dogs.  Blogger Seth Godin (coincidentally a cancer survivor) sees his daily dog-walk as a privilege and not a chore.  In a piece entitled "assorted tips", Godin says that "taking your dog for a walk is usually better than whatever alternative use of your time you were considering".  

Yet I have to actively remind myself of this, especially today.  Though I enjoy the route we take, my reaction to the prospect of 45 minutes alone was one of mild yet discernible anxiety.  A longish walk - particularly in light of the fast - would in one sense be a great chance to focus on the spiritual issues surrounding it.  Yet where on earth would I find the focus and staying power to do that for the better part of an hour?

I'm learning a lot about what it takes to cultivate the discipline of solitude.  I'm onto day 5 without Facebook and am finding it to be a liberating experience.  For one thing my phone battery is lasting at least a day longer than it usually does.

Let's hope my spiritual stamina follows suit!

"We live, in fact, in a world starved for solitude, silence, and private:  and therefore starved for meditation and true friendship"

C.S. Lewis