I’m in Las Vegas for a workshop. (I’m taking the workshop, not teaching it.) Las Vegas is either a sensory feast or a sensory overload. I’m not sure there’s a place in between. I need to ignore some of the sounds, the cigarette smoke, and some of the lights. I ignore to maintain my sanity.
For me, Las Vegas isn’t real life. Yet, I also find it worthwhile to ignore some things in real life, too.
- I’ve reduced my social media time because it feels like an echo chamber to me.
- I’ve reduced my tv news time because everything is a disaster. (When everything is a disaster, nothing is.)
I’ve increased some aspects of my life:
- Connecting with people.
- Generating more content so I can create more workshops and books.
- Walking, so I can stay fit.
I ignore or pay less attention to the stuff that makes me yell at the tv, or makes my vertigo a little nutso.
I pay more attention to what I can do to manage and manage and live a better life.
I’m not ignoring current events. Since I’ll be traveling on Election Day, I have a tickler in my calendar to vote before I leave. I am trying to not get caught in craziness I can’t control.
I’m a bit of a control freak, I admit. And, the world is full of things I can’t control. Here, in Vegas, I can’t control the loudness of the music or what’s in the hotel, etc. I can control my reactions to it.
That’s why learning to ignore is so powerful for me.
If your life feels like Las Vegas: high volume sound, noxious smells, flashing neon lights, maybe it’s time to ask want you can ignore. Maybe, not just things you can ignore, but also what you can pay more attention to?
For me, it’s the difference between just a pessimistic perspective (ignore) to adding more optimism in my life (add).
I know this doesn’t fit for everyone, so do think about whether it fits for you.
We can control our reactions, even if they are not our initial reaction. It’s almost never the problem that’s a problem. It’s often our reactions to the problem.
That, my dear adaptable readers, is the question this week: What can you ignore?