When you are just able to walk and learning about the interesting things in the world, progress is slow, not necessarily because of physical capability but because there are so many distractions. That is my interpretation of going for a walk with my grandson.
Thinking about it, much of what I do in my life is impeded by distractions. We are often told that the mobile phone conspires to reduce attention span and thus focusing capability. The same is true at the desk. Sometimes after a varied working session there are windows open all over the place, and they are not the sort that allow in fresh air. I am not the only person who has turned off a lot of the laptop and phone alerts to help manage distractions.
I recently researched a small part of the story of Julian of Norwich, an anchoress who lived seven centuries ago. Julian was walled into a small cell for sixty years. Her focus was driven by her visions and her intense relationship with God. That cell had three small windows. One allowed a view of the altar in the church so she could participate in the mass, one allowed her to given counsel to people in the street while the third was for the provision of her physical human needs.
It is an understatement to state that Julian’s lifestyle was unusual but of one thing we can be sure; her ability to focus and meditate for prolonged periods without distraction puts her in a different world from ours, metaphorically at least.
Here is a thought. How many distractions could most of us remove from daily life before the consequent improvement was offset by any real discomfort? Perhaps I should stop my newspaper subscription…I kid myself that then I would be out of touch with issues that matter. Would I?
A Prayer
God of peace, help me to find calm in the world of open windows and give me the wisdom to learn to block out the view from some of them so I see more clearly what is beyond the others. For the good of my soul, help me to do fewer things better. Thank you for Julian who told us that ‘all will be well, and all manner of things will be well.’ Amen.