The Wisdom of Inattention

"The art of being wise is the art of knowing what to overlook."

-- William James

There's alot of crap out there that just isn't worth your attention. The current presidential election campaign for one thing. I'm not saying you shouldn't vote -- of course, you should. But you already know who you're going to vote for, so why pay attention to all the rhetoric, posturing and bullshit that make up the campaign?

Angelina Jolie's quest to adopt one kid from every country in the world, forget it! Whatever Tom Crusie and Katy Holmes are doing in the hidden bowels of Scientology -- who gives a rat's ass? Most of what makes up the world news, and all of what makes up the "entertainment news," is a complete waste of your time. Overlook it.

What else should you overlook? On a more personal level, overlook every perceived slight, minor rudeness, or petty injustice that you have received. In other words, don't hold grudges, or they will indeed hold you, down. Overlook all the advertisements for totally useless shit that you don't need. Overlook all the vacuous new TV shows that crowd the airwaves and dull your mind. Overlook the latest diet craze, self-help tome and violent movie that the marketing machine is attempting to foist upon you.

When it comes down to it, you can pretty much overlook all of contemporary culture and thus make room for more important things like authenticity, love and joy. These qualities are never captured by focusing upon external pursuits. Instead they are patiently waiting within, waiting for you to discover them.

Today is the perfect day to make the decision to ignore or overlook all the shallow, external stuff that eats up your energy, time and attention. Take that energy and attention and refocus it on what you can control (yourself) and what you can influence (the environment and people closest to you). In so doing, you will not only be reclaiming your own power, but also taking a giant step towards becoming truly wise.