Getting a Grip on Distraction

Being a desert person, I have grown accustomed to a monochromatic landscape. In the desert everything follows a similar color scheme. Even the animals blend into the color of sand. I was with a colleague recently who commented that the buildings in the Southwest part of the United States all seem to look the same and all seem to fit into the landscape as if they have absolutely no distinctiveness of their own. She wondered why there's so little color or architectural difference. There is, for me, an important reason for this. By keeping everything similar, there's room to pay attention to what really stands out -- the stark red stone mesa, the pungent scent of chapparal after a rain, the ebon starlit sky. The desert is filled with its own sheer beauty that is easily missed if buildings themselves stand out.

I've learned two important things about desert landscapes through my years of life in them. First, there is little to distract me from the vastness of the territory or the depth of my own soul. The main feature of the land is 'sameness,' and it is this feature that invites going deep within. The desert's very minimal interest helps me focus on what is unseen. When I am rid of the contrasts, the distractions, the things that draw my attention away from what is most important there is a possibility that I will go deeper down, deeper in. Secondly, when there is a change; a wildflower popping up, a bright yellow bloom on a prickly pear, a pink and orange sunrise, there is no possibility of missing it. It stands out in total relief to the normal, usual, predictable topography. I am suddenly awakened from stupor, brought into a space of intense attention and gratitude. The very simplicity of the desert landscape makes it possible to see the random surprises, the unexpected gifts, the astonishing beauty that bolsters hope and fosters creativity.

If you're struggling with finding focus, if you're feeling that the tasks of life are coming at you at the speed of light, if you feel distracted in your own home, if you can't make decisions, if you don't feel you know your own self, if you can't be still with your own soul, it might be time for a little desert simplicity. Here are a couple of suggestions.

Clear a space -- Maybe you can clear a whole room, maybe a closet, maybe a corner in a room. But create a space with nothing in it. Don't do the work of trying to decide what to keep, what to give away, what to hold onto until you decide if you need it. Simply clear everything out so that you have an empty space. Sit silently in the space until you have a sense of what you should bring into the space. It might be nothing more than a candle or a single flower. It might be a book or a plant. It might be a table and a chair. Bring in what needs to be there and nothing else. When focus seems as distant as the miles between Omaha and Shanghai, sit in your space until a sense of calm returns.

Clear your calendar -- Create time that is unscheduled. Write it into your calendar as an appointment, so that you will not be tempted to fill it with the next request that comes floating through the ether into your lap. Turn off your phone, step away from your computer, stop the music that's playing, and go to your empty space. Sit until you feel boredom setting in. Then take a pen and notebook, and write -- write about what you're feeling, write about the hopes of your heart, write about the possibilities of life, write about the questions of your soul. Just write and then sit again.

Putting these two things into practice, will lead you away from the freneticism that is so rampant in our culture. If you boldly take the risk to go against the prevailing wind of doing what everyone else does, or what everyone wants or expects from you, you will have the chance to tend the preciousness of your own self.

Who knows, you just may book a trip to the desert!

Putting First Things First

I was at a lunch with several people the other day, and in our conversation I suggested that multi-tasking is not a very useful way to get things done. Information comes at us with the speed of a race car circling a track, and we are somehow expected to do something with it all. Without realizing it, we can find ourselves on overload. Rather than dealing with what needs to be dealt with, we find ourselves re-checking email we just checked three minutes ago, or pulling up the solitaire game we just can't seem to ignore. We can sometimes come to the end of the day exhausted, wondering if we've done anything that was really meaningful.

I believe that part of our exhaustion is precisely because we have not been truly engaged and focused on just one thing. We haven't felt the adrenalin rush of being completely consumed in something that demanded the attention of our mind, that warmed and enkindled the affection of our heart, that suggested new possibilities for creative expression, that energized our body or stirred our thirsty soul. When we do allow ourselves to be carried into the wind of absolute focus, we can be surprised to find that our exhaustion is gone and we are brimful with hopefulness and energy.

So, now I'm trying an experiment, and I'm inviting you to join me. I'm going to put first things first for the next 30 days. For me, this means, determining the three most important things that need attention that day, and doing each of those things singly and with focus. I want to see if I can create a new neural pathway in my brain that doesn't feel enslaved to the onslaught of informative stimuli. I want to see if I am actually more productive even though it seems I am giving attention to less things. Since I believe that multi-tasking is counter-productive I want to prove it to myself through my little experiment this next month. It might even start a revolution for simplicity. Now that's a word that makes me utter a peaceful "ahhhh."

New Publication Available!

Daily Vitamins for the Soul, Volume 6 has just been released!

Some of the most provocative and searching questions I receive from people is around the issue of prayer. There is a genuine interest in understanding the role of prayer in our lives, and how to sustain an effective life of prayer. Even those without an articulated faith tradition find themselves wanting to grapple with the mystery of prayer. Daily Vitamins for the Soul, Volume 6 is focused on the practice of prayer. In thirty daily installments, readers will find their own lives of prayer deepened, and hopefully, find within the depth of their own souls the call to pray and live life as a prayer.

Daily Vitamins for the Soul, Volume 6 is available at I'd love to hear your reflections on the book so email me!

More On Knowing Ourselves

"Within the landscape of our soul
where impulse first is born
we find the tracks of our own life
tucked silent and forlorn.
When unafraid we face ourselves
from that deep silent space,
the truth of us, the truth of God,
stands our in richest grace."
copyright Renee Miller 2008

I mentioned in my last post that I would have more to say about this poem in the coming days. Here are some reflections on lines 3 and 4:

Even though I know how important it is to come to a greater self-knowledge, I have often found it easier to understand my life from the perspective of others, rather than committing myself to doing the hard archaeological work of digging in my own soul. It takes far less effort to mimic others, or trust others' directions, or follow patterns that seem to make sense to the situation of others, than it does to mine my own depth. Friends, family, and colleagues have helped me uncover certain truths about myself, to be sure, but I have sometimes relied too heavily on them. In truth, because my life is unique, it can only truly be discovered by me.

I think the reason why the work feels so arduous is because the tracks are hidden so deeply. Some of the tracks are distant memories from childhood, some are experiences that have enlarged my heart, some have left me weeping in pain too deep for breath, some are dreams that have been given no voice. I know that they are tucked silently inside me waiting patiently for me to visit and learn from them. But, I just seem to lose my verve for digging when more demanding concerns in daily life relentlessly press upon me. Yet, this is my life, I am talking about. The one life that I have been given by the hand of heaven. Without the willingness to do the divine work of sifting through those tracks, I will miss finding the truth of me.

Knowing Ourselves

It seems to me that there is hardly anything more important in life than doing the hard work of coming to know ourselves. The more we know ourselves, the more we can allow our soul to know God. I will probably be writing more about this in the days ahead, but for now, here is a short poem I wrote that may give you the courage to deepen your journey of discovering who you really are.

"Within the landscape of our soul,
Where impulse first is born,
We find the tracks of our own life,
Tucked silent and forlorn.
When unafraid we face ourselves,
From that deep silent place,
The truth of us, the truth of God,
Stands out in richest grace."
copyright Renee Miller 2008

We think, we feel, we act on our impulses (both good and not so good) that are first conceived in our soul. So for now, begin to know yourself just by noticing your impulses for a few days. See where they are coming from, what is giving them power and emotion, what they say to you about yourself, what they say to you about God. I'd love to hear your thoughts!

May you always know that you are loved by God boundlessly, unconditionally, and eternally.

Daily Vitamins for the Soul

In our overly busy lives we find our bodies become depleted of nutrients. We replenish and supplement those lost nutrients with daily vitamins. Our souls are often more depleted than our bodies, but because our souls are shy, we can be completely unaware of their thirsty cry. When we do sense that our soul is parched, we tend to ignore the signs because we are fearful too much will be required to tend to them. Actually, the smallest sip from a canvas canteen of silence can be enough to plump up an arid soul. Daily Vitamins for the Soul are just that -- small sips of moisture that will restore the soul's balance. First appearing as meditations on http://www.explorefaith.org/, these have been formatted into small booklets of 30 or 31 days to take you through a month. They include a short verse of scripture, a meditation, and a one sentence prayer that serves as a wateringhole throughout the day. Get in the habit of taking these vitamins yourself, and recommend them to your friends. Buy them in print form ($8.31) or download them ($2.50) at http://www.lulu.com/content/399601.