Social Media Drive- By

Most likely we've all seen this happen and more than likely we've done the same thing ourselves at some point.  I call it the social media drive-by.  It happens far too often by far too many that claim that all others do this, but not them.

It is when someone responds to a social media post without reading the whole thing and begins preaching to you about what you need to do.  It is when someone shares something, but has no idea what was in the social media post they share.  It is when someone shares something that is sensational but doesn't fully check it out to make sure it is true.  Since others share it, they might as well too.

No one uses an ounce of common sense it seems or stops to think about something.  They just willy nilly share the darn thing because it might be the most vital piece of information the world will ever know.  Unfortunately, most of the time with about 5 seconds of a google search, you can see how untrue the "greatest information piece" actually is.

When you can barely wait to tell the person how they should live their life and what they should do and who they should base their life beliefs upon, there's something a little off here.  After all, do you really know that person in one small little tweet or Facebook post? Do you really know them?

I honestly don't understand because I do try hard not to share stuff unless I've read it.  I try to make sure it is balanced and fair and as factual as it can be.  I try to make sure it adds value to the overall conversation of the day, rather than just inflame and sensationalize a topic.

Too many of the drive-by social media postings are so one sided and off balance that it is just sad.  They don't try to see the whole thing as they just click that mouse and go on to the next social media posting.  In many ways, it forms a picture of ignorance.  We are what we say and share to the world whether we realize it or not.


What if for one moment, you took a brief second and thought more about a response to someone on one of their social media postings?  What if for one moment, you considered what you were posting and asked yourself, "will this really enhance the world or just be more noise in a day?"

There is so much noise in a day and the social media drive-by adds to that.  We've already got enough of this on every TV news channel, radio station, and internet video.  Do we really need to add more to that?  Do we really need to be more of the problem than the solution?

A social media drive-by does very little in my view to help advance humanity.  It just continues the spreading of stuff that has no nutritional value for the mind or body.  It is just more of the same noise that has become a nuisance.
 

We need to engage our brain cells more.  We need to engage our hearts more.  Spewing words for the sake of spewing words, does very little to help one another.  In fact, I think it not only hurts the mind and body, but I think it hurts the heart and essence of our souls.

Find a way to be balanced.  Find a way to be real.  Make your life count for something good, not succumb to the meaningless information that flows at a constant rate on the internet.  The world will thank you for it and if they don't, I will definitely thank you for it.

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Blog Post And Images (c) 2016 by Don Shetterly

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Celebrate The Sound Of Silence

In our day, there are too many noises and distractions. Sure, we tune most of them out, but they are still there lurking in the shadows. I remember reading Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor's account of how aware she was of the noises around her. In fact, I remember her saying something about working sometimes while using ear plugs to drown out the noises.

I am one of those sensitive people when it comes to noises. My ears pick them up as it does simple sounds around me. Sometimes it is a contest between my cat and I as to who picks up more sounds. It is sometimes difficult for me to function in a day where I need to be creative or analytical and having sounds flood through my ears.

White Noise and Ocean Waves

Recently, I released a CD called "Relaxing Ocean Wave Sounds". This is a CD of ocean waves that I captured. While a friend of mine immediately said "white noise" when they heard this CD, after some research, it might not be strictly defined as white noise.

However, I have been playing this CD at night and it really helps me relax and sleep while it cancels out the background noises. I have often used various white noise CD's when I was traveling to help me sleep to mask the noises of people talking in a hallway or doors slamming.

I was playing the ocean waves CD yesterday while working in my office, and my orange cat was so relaxed. At first he wasn't sure of the sounds but it didn't take him long to come over and lay down next to me. Yes, I do realize that cats can really zone out but my cat was beyond what he normally is when he is relaxed. It had a strong effect on him.

The term white noise comes from a reference to white light. In either white noise or white light, white refers to the full spectrum of sound or visible wave lengths. The key point here being that it is the full spectrum.


It is the equal distribution of light or sound waves or a noise that is produced by combining all possible tones or frequencies together. White noise generally is a soothing and relaxing sound that blocks out unwanted sounds or background noises.

In addition to white noise, there is pink noise. Pink noise is defined as pleasant sounds that are relaxing and fill the mind with unstimulating distractions much like white noise. However, with pink noise, it does not cover the full spectrum of sound frequencies and so it does not mask background noise as well as white noise.

There are many purposes and uses for white noise. White noise is great for sleep (insomnia), concentration, reading a book or just relaxing. It is often a help to those that suffer from tinnitus (ringing in the ears). White noise is also being used in offices to help cancel out background conversations from people working in adjacent cubicles or offices.

When I recorded the Relaxing Ocean Wave Sounds CD, I wanted to get the full dynamics of the sounds I heard on the beach. I did notice that while I relaxed on the beach, it seemed as if time stood still. Although there are many CD’s out there with the sound of ocean waves, many of them do not really capture the true experience and present an environment that connects the mind and body together.


Sources Of Information:
1) Wikipedia - White Noise
2) Hubpages.com - Do White Noise Machines Help You Sleep?


To Purchase "Relaxing Ocean Wave Sounds" CD
-- iTunes
-- Amazon
-- Napster
-- Rhapsody

For More Information on Don Shetterly's Music
http://www.donshetterly.com






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Blog Post & Images (c) 7/16/11 Don Shetterly - use by permission only
http://www.donshetterly.com

If any part of this post is used or shared, a link back to this site is required.
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Finding Silence In Our World

The other day I was at the park trying to record some nature sounds with my new H2 Zoom Digital Recorder. Right now, I'm loving that recorder but I've still got much to learn in getting exactly what it is that I want to record. I am amazed though at the quality of the recordings that I am able to capture.

Anyway, as I was sitting there in the park and quieting myself, I realized a couple of things. There was much more noise around me than I realized. Yes, I heard the occasional airplane go overhead and for some reason, it seemed like there were many that day. The interesting thing though is I really didn't hear these noises that distinctly until I went back and played the recording on my computer.

In the recording, I found there were various people noises around me that maybe I picked up but I did not hear plainly until I listened to the recording. The planes that I heard overhead seemed to be far off in the distant but on the recording, they were much more distinct than what I thought they were.

There are many projects going on where people are seeking completely silence. In fact, some of the people who record nature sounds will state that they struggle to find truly silent places with no noise. The areas in our world that offer this are becoming much more difficult to find.

Most of us go through our day and we fail to hear all the noises that surround us. From the hum of the florescent light and buzz of a computer fan all the way to the noises of cars, engines, motors and airplanes, we are surrounded. There is so much of these things that we have grown accustomed to, that we do not truly hear them. They exist in the distance to us.

Yet, I can't help but wonder just how much they impact the body and mind. They are noise clutter in our day an they crowd out things that are truly around us which are beautiful to hear. The nervous system has to react to these stimuli in one way or another.

At one time, we lived in a major city and there was constant noise all around us. Even if you lived a distance from one of the main roads, there was hardly a time where things really seemed quiet. Distant noises traveled for miles. Even though it seemed quiet at night or in the back yard, there was noise all around us.

As we find those quiet places in life, we will discover just how many birds and other nature sounds are around us. There is much more there than we can usually pick up on. I still think back to the day we were sitting out in the front of our house and the spring time birds were chirping wildly with joy. Yet, people who were out for a walk failed to notice the loudness of the birds.

Our body does need time for stillness and silence in order to reflect, ponder and create our tomorrows. If we constantly surround our life with noise, than we are robbing ourselves of one of the greatest parts of being human.


Blog Post & Images (c) 4/11/11 Don Shetterly - use by permission only
http://www.donshetterly.com

Five Minute Silent Meditation

So often in life, each of us has so much noise, clutter and chaos. We could all probably list many things that consume our attention but really don't get our feet moving from point A to point B. Our minds can become overactive in thinking on these these things.

It can be so difficult to quiet our mind when we have days that are filled from the time we wake up to the time we got to bed. In many ways, modern technology keeps us going at a pace that is in conflict with the frequency of the human body. Yet, if we stopped right now, we would worry just how we would accomplish every thing that was expected of us. Is this the way we truly desire to live life where our beginnings to our day meet the ends of our day?

I'm not going to say it is easy to stop and take ourselves out of our busy lives. It is definitely a challenge. However, we have to consider what is important in our day. What things do we wish to spend our time with during the day? What things matter to us and have the greatest importance? Sure, there are things that we must do to function in life, but if they are our sole focus, than we will be like a dog chasing its tail.

What if we made a commitment with ourselves that we would spend 5 minutes each morning in silent meditation? We could focus on our breath as we allow our mind and body to connect. A quiet place to do this is helpful and best but it can also be done in just about any place. Just focus on giving yourself this time, and block out the noise, chaos and clutter around you. Let your mind be in that moment without giving yourself any input. Let yourself be in the silence of the moment complete with all the sounds happening around you.

Just 5 minutes a day can do many things for the mind, body and spirit. If you have more time available, you may see a greater reward but the important point is just to give yourself this moment. Try not to make the act of doing silent meditation so great that it overwhelms you to the point where it does not happen. Let it flow and happen as you see fit and as you feel is appropriate for you in your life at that moment.

Allow yourself to just be in the moment without concern for what you need to accomplish. Those things will fill your day easily enough. Give yourself this moment to refresh and renew your life's energy. See just how the 5 minute act of silent meditation affects your day and your life.



*For more articles, check out the Mind Body Thoughts Blog

Mindfully Present

Have you ever just stopped and listened to what is around you? Have you noticed all the sounds that may be present? Sure, there are times when we hear the familiar sounds we know very well. But, just how much do we really hear and notice and take in? So often we are too busy in our lives to notice and be mindful of our surroundings.

If you really want to reset and be mindfully present, try quieting yourself and listening to what is around you. You may want to take a notebook with you and record all that you hear. See how many different sounds you can pick up on. Observe all that you can see. Notice everything that is going on. Allow yourself to be part of the moment, pushing aside all other thoughts, worries, and things you need to accomplish for your day. This time is about allowing yourself to be mindfully present in the moment.

For there is no better moment of rest that is energizing, refreshing and inviting than to surround yourself with the symphony of nature. All too often, we are too busy in our lives to just stop and let our mind, body and spirit be in the moment.

It is so easy for us to get caught up in our days, filled with electronics of all flavors, type and sizes. We are constantly bombarded by noise from the TV news, the cars rushing by or the chatter of our fellow humans. While many of these things may be a necessary part of our day, we need to balance our lives with time away from these noises. We cannot expect to let go when we are constantly bombarded with noise that never stops.

So, find a place in nature somewhere, as far removed from the city hustle and bustle, that you can. Take some fresh, cool water with you. When you arrive at your spot, make yourself comfortable. If you're having a difficult time quieting your thoughts, acknowledge them and then just sit there focusing on your breathing. Tell yourself, if you need to, that all the stresses and worries of your day are not needed int his moment. Let them go for now, because they will be there when you are done. However, they may appear different.

Then as you sink into the moment, just allow yourself to be there as an observer. Take note of all that you see, feel, sense, observe and pick up. If it feels right, try to record these things on a notebook, but stay mindful and present. Just sit there with all that is going on. Take in everything and see what shows up that you may not easily see. Just observe and notice it all.

Once you have finished, be thankful for this time. Then, notice how the rest of your day goes. Is there a change in how you view things in your life? Is there a change or shift in you? Do you feel a sense of ease? Just observe and notice all of it. Take it all in.


*For more articles, check out the Mind Body Thoughts Blog