The Dangerous Side of Ignorance

I'm back! It wasn't 6 months of rest and relaxation. It was 6 months of research and reading. My conclusion from all that book worming and net surfing? To quote Pogo, "I have met the enemy and he is us!"

The biggest challenge we face when developing a functional stress management or life management program is our own ignorance.

Ignorance comes in several forms. Thankfully, so does information. Libraries, teachers, friends, magazines, newspapers, computer software, the Internet, our choices expand every day.

So why is ignorance such a problem when we have all these resources? Too full a life, lethargy, resistance to learning, fear and not knowing where to start, can keep us from living a fuller life. Let's look at each of these and how to overcome them.

1) Too full a life: cell phones, FAX machines, call waiting, video conferencing, family duties, children's practice schedules, grocery shopping, the list can goon without end. We over stimulate ourselves. We have too many options. And often, all these options become a full but not richer life.

The ignorance cure for this is to learn all you can about effective time management. Then, with pen and pad, list your priorities. Set goals to realize those priorities. And, manage your time in a way to give you more control over your life. Yes, it takes self-discipline. And, you will have to drop some of your current activities. However, the time you save will be your own. The new calmness you experience will be a welcome relief from the chaos.

2) Lethargy occurs when we feel out of energy and unmotivated. After a long day at the office, or with screaming children, we can feel drained. Doing work we don't like and can't see any future in can cause lethargy

The ignorance cure for lethargy is to make sure you're eating a good balanced diet. Lack of energy can be the result of a lack of nutritional fuel. Learn about good nutrition. If lethargy is habitual, check with your doctor to make sure there is not a physiological or psychological basis for it. Take an aptitude test if you feel you're in the wrong line of work. Find out what your talents are and try to align your work with them. Avoid alcohol when you feel lethargic. It will only add to the feeling and make it less likely that you will get anything productive done after you drank the alcohol.

3) Resistance to learning and fear often go together. We're not sure that if we try to learn something that we can. We don't like to ask questions because we think someone will laugh at us. We fear finding out the truth. We'd rather live with the unknown or the suspected rather than live with the reality of the situation. Tom Peter's "perception is reality," doesn't hold here.You can, not want to know that you have a disease. However, it would still be there.

The ignorance cure for resistance and fear is counseling if the situation is severe. It is knowledge and education in most cases. Facing our resistance and fear can be both simple and difficult. However, we often grow from overcoming them.

4) Not knowing where to start looking should not be very common any more. Ask a friend or associate that you feel has some information on the subject you want to know about. Call your local library and ask to speak with the research department and ask them for help. If you have a computer, get on the Internet and do "key word searches," on the World Wide Web. Look in an encyclopedia. Go to a book store.

We are all ignorant in certain fields. It is a worthy goal to fill in the gaps of our knowledge. Education dispels ignorance. When we target our health and happiness, the results can be a longer, more vital life.

Make yourself a post it note and put it on your mirror. "Learn something today, and be happy!"