Sifting Through The Noise of the Day
In today’s global environment, we depend on a consistent stream of information through the proliferation of an overabundance of technical gadgets like Blackberry’s, iPhones, cell phones with Internet access and mobile television feeds. Each of these are tied to hundreds of information sources that allow us to instantly learn about worldwide weather conditions, sports scores, national and international news and the latest numbers and news from the stock exchanges around the world.
Information is the key to understanding events around us and how our lives will be affected by the hundreds of thousands of fundamental issues that confront us on a daily basis. The trick is discerning and finding what’s important and then separating that valid information from the flawed data before it distracts or guides us to make questionable decisions. There’s not a lot of extra time to waste in today’s society. So, all organizations work hard to get the most valid and useful news out to their customers as fast as possible in order to make some critical decisions concerning their lives.
This increase of information technology, when combined with an unusual convergence of the dramatic and constant drone of global news events, has led many people to finally figure out that they sacrifice their lives every day to their obsession for this constant flow of what they consider to be meaningful stream of genuine information – a news obsession, if you will.
I am the first to applaud the benefits of modern technology. We are indeed fortunate to live in a world that allows us such freedom. Freedom to gather information using the most advanced methods available. But more importantly, we have the freedom to actively use the same information to adjust the direction of our personal well-being. The method in which you receive information, whether it be from satellite or broadcast radio or television, magazines and books, the Internet, workshops and lectures, is not the main question. A successful final outcome is determined by what data you use and how you apply that information to your professional or personal situation.
But consider this, in a world of 24/7 information constantly being pumped at us, it is difficult to separate the "wheat from the chaff," as they say, and it’s not getting any easier. Today, we can not only find out the latest news headlines on services like Twitter (in 140 characters or less) but we are also exposed to what our favorite movie star is doing on any particular night in Hollywood. It sometimes gets to the point where we are so saturated with "news" that nothing seems to make any sense whatsoever.
I guess one answer is to set aside a few hours each day where you simply turn off the technology and give it a rest. We should consider actually talking to a real person now and then instead of discussing matters with a virtual friend. Pick up a book, play with your kids, enjoy a dinner with your spouse or just sit in silence. A little bit of time spent doing the things that really matter in your life will help repair what "the noise" has done to your thoughts and emotions all day long.