You are currently browsing the monthly archive for July 2009.
On a chilly Friday morning in January—in the middle of rush hour at a D.C. metro station—world renowned violinist Joshua Bell participated in a staged experiment to see how hurried commuters would respond to encountering exquisite classical music played on an 18th century violin by (unbeknownst to them) one of the finest classical musicians in the world.
In this creative look into our human habits around context, perception, and priorities, the Washington Post authors of this social experiment were interested in a central question: “Would beauty transcend?”
During the 43 minutes that Bell performed (in street clothes and a ball cap), 1,097 people passed by his location. While a few individuals eventually paused to listen more closely for a few moments, not once did Bell draw a crowd. A former child prodigy who filled concert halls in the week leading up to the experiment and whose performance time can command as much as $1,000 a minute, Bell counted a total of $32.17 in his violin case at the end of his performance!
What is this life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.
— from Leisure, by W.H. Davies
Each passerby on that Friday morning was presented with a choice: to stop and listen, or to hurry on past to their morning destination. In his full story on the event, Post writer Gene Weingarten wonders whether the explosion in technology in recent years has limited, rather than expanded, our exposure to new experiences.
- Have we become so used to obtaining our information from familiar, expected sources (we program our playlists and/or tune in to our favorite stations, then plug in our ear buds and tune out everything else) that we don’t notice the potential moments of joy and beauty that surround us?
A further question stimulated by the results of this experiment is this:
- “If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world, playing some of the finest music ever written, with one of the most beautiful instruments ever made, then how many other things are we missing?”
Shifting out of “autopilot”’ mode
Particularly in challenging times, we often lose sight of and appreciation for the magic and beauty that exists right under our noses.
Here are some suggestions for staging your own social experiment in the coming week(s): see what happens when you begin to pay more attention to the world around you as you go about your daily activities.
- Experiment with speed – Does your rate of travel affect the way you perceive and interact with the world? Try purposely slowing down or speeding up and note what you see, feel, and do differently. Has “rush hour” movement become a way of life?
- Experiment with keeping an open mind – Notice if and when your mind is swimming with thoughts and try to gently set aside your preoccupations to create more space for noticing the actual circumstances around you.
- Experiment with sight and sound – Try taking off your portable sound equipment (MP3 players, etc.), turning off your car radio, setting down your reading material, and playing with new ways to observe your environment. What do you notice when you open yourself up to see things as they are in the moment (vs. slipping into autopilot mode and expecting people and places to be what they’ve “always” been)?
Expect the unexpected!
Listen to the entire audio recording of Joshua Bell’s DC Subway Concert
“We can become blind by seeing each day as a similar one.
Each day is a different one, each day brings a miracle of its own.
It’s just a matter of paying attention to this miracle.”
- Paulo Coelho
This photo was sent in by Lisa Baez, a key member of the Upside team; you’ll be hearing much more about Lisa’s work in the upcoming months.
Take a good careful look at this picture.
What comes to mind?
For me it’s about taking the time to see the beauty, mystery and magic of life that is right in front of our eyes if when we are paying attention… It reminds me about the power of resilience and persistence that I need daily in order to help grow, nurture and expand our Upside Community.
How about you?
Questions:
- What comes to mind when you see this photo?
- Consider a challenge in your life. How might this young plant making its way through the concrete provide insight, optimism and a sense of hope to your situation?
Have you ever been interrupted from a pleasant reverie by someone trying to get your attention, accusing you (in an annoyed tone of voice) of daydreaming? The implication is usually that you’ve slipped up, goofed off, and disappeared into a never-never land that’s a waste of time.
Thanks to the science of brain imaging evidence now shows that when we daydream, we’re actually engaged in a highly productive activity! Researchers at the University of British Columbia (UBC) recently published the results of their Mind Wandering Study [article, abstract], in which they recorded the brain images of subjects while they daydreamed.
Highlights of the study include:
- The human brain is active at a higher level and across a wider area than previously thought
- The brain’s “executive network” (the areas associated with high-level, complex problem solving), formerly thought to be dormant during daydreaming, is actually highly active during these episodes
Image from UBC’s ‘Mind Wandering Study’, April 2009.
Lighted areas show brain activity while subjects are engaged in day dreaming.
Permission to Daydream….
A few upsides immediately come to mind in reflecting on the implications of this new data. Perhaps the problems that we’re struggling with, along with the questions that we’re seeking answers to, could be helped along just as much by mental “down time” as they are by all the effort we put into problem-solving. Is it possible that our minds are even more engaged in productive activity when they are off wandering in the invisible world of daydreaming, than when we are working hard trying to “think” our way through an issue?
Personally, I find that I help myself resolve challenges in my life when I take the time for occasional breaks. For example, the other day while feeling frustrated about some writing I was doing and preoccupied about an upcoming meeting, I decided to get up from my desk and head out for a walk. At first, it felt indulgent. However at some point along my route, helpful insights and ideas began to emerge as I kept moving and enjoyed the view. I returned from the walk feeling refreshed, energized, and ready to deal with the issues at hand. What initially felt like indulgence actually wound up saving me a great deal of time, stress, and effort.
Questions to ponder:
- Do you know when you are daydreaming?
- Are you aware of the content of your daydreams?
- What difference might it make in your life if you: a) began to view daydreaming as a useful aide in problem-solving, and b) gave yourself permission to daydream more?
- How would it be to entertain the idea that our minds might actually know what they are doing when they “wander off” and explore new and creative directions that can be helpful to us?
As you are reading this, I will be returning home from a weekend retreat of meditation and silence. I participate in this group retreat each summer at a meditation center conveniently located on the island I live on in British Columbia, Canada.
These annual retreats remind me how delicious it is to slow down and “let life in”. During these few precious days away from my usual activities, I recharge my battery and revitalize the techniques that help to bring peace and joyful renewal to my daily life. The effects last long after the retreat is over: I notice that there is much more ease to my life, that it takes less effort to accomplish more, and that I am more intuitively and creatively engaged in my life.
After reading the following poem, consider some of the personal benefits to slowing down. Are there ways you could begin to take more time to reflect upon and savor life?
Slow Dance
By David L. Weatherford
Have you ever watched kids on a merry-go-round,
or listened to rain slapping the ground?
Ever followed a butterfly’s erratic flight,
or gazed at the sun fading into the night?
You better slow down, don’t dance so fast,
time is short, the music won’t last.
Do you run through each day on the fly,
when you ask, “How are you?”, do you hear the reply?
When the day is done, do you lie in your bed,
with the next hundred chores running through your head?
You better slow down, don’t dance so fast,
time is short, the music won’t last.
Ever told your child, we’ll do it tomorrow,
and in your haste, not see his sorrow?
Ever lost touch, let a friendship die,
’cause you never had time to call and say hi?
You better slow down, don’t dance so fast,
time is short, the music won’t last.
When you run so fast to get somewhere,
you miss half the fun of getting there.
When you worry and hurry through your day,
it’s like an unopened gift thrown away.
Life isn’t a race, so take it slower,
hear the music before your song is over.
Questions to ponder:
- What do you already do to “slow down” in your life?
- Do you notice a connection between slowing down physically and slowing down mentally? Which comes first, for you?
- Are there any new insights arising within you at this moment about additional ways you could follow Weatherford’s advice to reduce the “worry and hurry” in your days?
- What advice would you have for others? If you were to write another verse or two to add to his poem, what would they be about?
E-mail 
Recent Comments