The search for meaning in mundane clichés has yielded some unexpected nuggets of clarity. Well, maybe that’s not entirely correct; I did expect to find meaning. What I didn’t expect is how relevant that meaning would be.
Let’s start with ignorance is bliss. Oh the irony… I don’t suffer fools gladly so out of all the clichés that could possibly hold meaning, this was the last one I thought I’d ever find wisdom in.
The start of a new year generally brings new beginnings, resolutions we mean to keep in the hope they will bring meaning and balance to our frenetic lives. We all do it, even knowing as we do that those resolutions will probably fall by the wayside before the month is out. The hardcore among us manage to pull off some of their resolutions; the rest of us are sipping hot chocolate with extra cream even while bemoaning that blasted 10 lbs. that just won’t shift.
My only resolution for this year is to be happy. Find what makes me happy and do that. Never mind the weight, forget winning the lottery; just be happy!
This means simplifying, decluttering and making room in my days for happiness to intrude. I whittled down my e-mail lists, cancelled subscriptions and I stopped reading the news. I went from reading news sites dozens of times a day to nothing. Complete cold turkey on anything remotely news related. The only exception is I still check the weather because that’s just sensible.
If there’s been a shooting/bombing/murder/robbery/riot/racist incident/terrorist threat, I don’t know about it. It’s been 24 days of no news articles. Nada. And let me tell you, BLISS! Ignorance really is bliss!
The constant inundation of bad news and tragic events isn’t necessary to function. Information overload doesn’t always serve the cause. When you click into a news site, you have no control over what’s going to be in your face. You can control whether or not you actually read the entire article, but there’s no control over all the car crash headlines jostling for your attention. The headlines suck us in with the lure of gory details; it’s like a car crash that sickens you to your stomach but you can’t look away.
We don’t need to be hooked up to every little thing in life. People are so afraid they’ll miss something that they’re constantly monitoring everything to make sure nothing slips by them. Here’s a question. Does having all of this extra information make you any happier?
It doesn’t make me one iota happier knowing that Kim Whatsherface has decided she’s only going to eat foods that start with a P or wear her hair in a side parting instead of tied up. Who gives a damn?
It’s time to pull the plug on all the meaningless and depressing bullcrap that doesn’t matter to you. By all means, be informed if you need to be but don’t drown yourself in every little detail. If you can live without it and it doesn’t make you smile, kick it to the curb. You can’t get flustered and uptight about things that aren’t on your radar and therein lies the bliss.
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