My yoga teacher first recommended Soren Gordhamer’s book after busting me trying to check my iPhone mid-practice. “Wisdom 2.0: Ancient Secrets for the Creative and Constantly Connected” was a much-needed read upon feeling less effective (but more stressed) while working day and night in the information economy in SF. The tome is a worthwhile resource whether read while commuting, on a tablet, or even while paying attention with its recommendations for the Internet obsessed, including:
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When we focus on that we are connected, the technologies become more important than their function. We think, Wow. Look how many people I can communicate with. Look how often I can read my e-mail and text messages. This is impressive…however, it is meaningless since the impact of these actions depend on the what this is present during them.”
Gordhamer just launched the Wisdom 2.0 Conference, a three-day summit whose speakers included a Zen priest, the CTO of Twitter, and neuroscientists for discussions about modern day mindfulness around technology. (I was one of the only people on a laptop during the panels, but Twitter and Facebook updates about the programming still abounded throughout.) As might be expected, the author and conference host is a man on the go but graciously offered a few thoughts on our hyperconnectivity and why it needn’t always own our time.
SF: You weren’t always tuned into our culture’s tech-assisted overactivity. What made you take a step back and realize how we might be hurting ourselves?
SG: I started to feel the sense of angst and rush that seemed to be directing more of my life, and I knew this was something I did not want to continue.
You start your book by inviting the reader to ask if they even have time to read your work. What do you recommend for people who seem addicted to the hustle but know a change might be in order?
[They can] ask themselves what really matters. On their deathbed, as we say good-bye to our title at work, our Facebook page, our name…what is really going to matter? And how might we align our lives now in accordance with that?
Rather than believe the thought, “how I am living is bad; I need to change,” simply ask what changes, if any, want to come forth. Make friends with the universal flow. Work with the energy rather than using judgment to try to force a change.
Are there personal practices you’re open to sharing about how you lead a more mindful existence that’s still “productive”?
The heart of it, to me, is whether we are fighting or resisting any given moment. I do think it can help though to spend time every day in nature, do something that allows to focus inward, laugh, and remember there is only ever one moment: the moment we are living now.