Dare to be Alone

"....we do not know how to relax.We feel a kind of vacuum in ourselves,so we turn on the television. We live in a society where we always feel we are lacking something,and we want to fill it.If we don't turn on the TV, we eat or read or talk on the telephone.We are always trying to fill our void with something."

(by Thich Nhat Hanh from Love in Action).

Ipods,cellphones,computers,satellite radios,televisions with one hundred and fifty channels,these are some of the technological advancements we now have access to.In, and of themselves,they are not bad things.However,few would deny that these devices carry with them the potential for abuse and overuse.Many people say they couldn't imagine living without them.It seems clear from a statement such as this,that these devices carry with them the potential for addiction.Yet there is something more serious going on here than the possibilty of becoming addicted.The writer quoted above has it right when he says:"We are always trying to fill our void with something." That something is too often the Ipod,the cellphone or time spent in front of a computer or television.Have we as a people lost the ability to simply sit and think,or to watch and listen? When was the last time you went for a walk or sat in the park or woods?If this is something you haven't done,then you must do so for your mental,physical and spiritual well-being.Those who have children need to include them also. Initial thoughts or complaints of boredom are signs you have been corrupted by man-made devices and distractions.These complaints will dissipate as you make this a daily practice.As time passes,this activity is something that you will look forward to,it will bring peace and give you rest.More importantly,it will draw you closer to God.