People are addicted to information.
I often reference page 191 of the book The Tools by Phil Stutz and Barry Michels, where they write:
"Consumers try to make up for their laziness by gorging on new information- TV, podcasts, web searches, texts, emails, etc. But like a meal eaten too quickly, nothing is really digested. I once met a woman at a seminar who told me she'd read seventy-five books on spirituality in the past month. How could she find meaning in one book when she was already consuming the next? Trying to consume spirituality is like buying multiple GPS systems for your car and not learning to use any of them."
They’re saying that people go on information binges and use the dopamine hit they get from it to convince themselves they’re “doing something.” But really, nothing is happening. It’s just another addiction, and nothing is integrated.
We don’t need more information. We need wisdom.
I’m not impressed when people give me a laundry list of things they’ve read or things they’ve done if they haven’t embodied the concepts.
It doesn’t matter. What did you gain from those experiences? How have they impacted you? What did you integrate and apply?
A good example of this, for me, is this book The Tools.
When the documentary “Stutz” came out on Netflix in November 2022, I was leading my group on Day 1, and they wanted to have a call about it.
I remember feeling frustrated about it because many of the concepts in the documentary (and related book The Tools) were things I’d taught, said in another way.
I also noticed that there was a pattern of “shiny object syndrome” in people I’d been working with, eager to jump to “the next thing” without fully integrating and absorbing the former.
I felt a pull from people to produce “novelty,” and I hated it.
I begrudgingly watched the documentary and read the book, and to my delight and their credit, I found it was highly useful.
I started using it in my work.
Here we are, two years later, and I’m still mentioning it, and using it.
I wonder how many others are? Or was it just popular the week the movie came out on Netflix? 🤷🏻♀️
When I provide something for somebody, it’s not fully about the information. If you want information, you can just go ask ChatGPT for it. It makes mistakes but for the most part, it can explain complex processes and systems, and can do so in a way that will be easy to understand. (Ask it to explain complex shit to you like you’re 6. That’s how I learned about cloud servers.)
I find myself in frustration because I’ll often offer things to people I care about with the intention “here is this for you. It is to make your life work better.”
But, their brains scan for information, not the wisdom about how they operate.
Perhaps I am a very selfish, but the nugget of wisdom for me and my life is the only thing I care about. When my life is optimal, I can lead others. When I understand my inner workings, I can be of better service. I can lead in love instead of fear when I understand my operating system.
The wisdom for me is the gift for you.
It makes no sense for me to go on a candy binge of 85 books. That’s not useful if I’ve gotten no wisdom.
Another thing- I say “no” a lot.
Mario and I talked this week about how “no” is our favorite word.
“THIS IS A VERY VALUABLE PROGRAM.”
I’m sure it is. I’m at capacity. The answer is no.
“THIS IS A NO BRAINER”
For a brain that isn’t full of crap right now. The answer is no.
“THIS WILL BE A GREAT TIME!”
So will eating cookies in bed, and being asleep by 10.
I have no problem with “no.” I have no FOMO. I know what I want and need, and if I can’t finish one plate, I’m not going back for seconds.
We’re drowning in information. Maybe try less.
Remember being a kid and asking your parents for a new toy, and your Mom or Dad (or whoever raised you) gently suggested you go play with your old toys? The big basket of them over in the corner…?
Maybe try that today.
Stay beautiful.
Having my 2-3 staple practices each day of running, yoga, and dance keep me so much more centered in the living of MY life rather than the consuming of information that may well not serve me.
It helps me knowing I don’t even need to choose, I just show up and do the practice and learn along the way what I need and integrate what’s applicable to me.
Guilty! 🙋🏻♀️ Too much taking in and moving on without proper absorption. Love how you make me realize these things (or re-think them)! ❤️