Folks, I’d like to open this post with a question: do you ever find yourself typing too much? Too many words for what you’re trying to say/think/communicate? I do. A lot.
Over the years, through all the blogging, coding, IM-ing and e-mailing, I find I can now type significantly faster than I can write. While this does worry me somewhat (writing is an art-form that should be preserved as our generation shifts closer towards using technology for everyday communication), there is also a thought to take away from this.
How do we know what we’re really thinking if we don’t stop and think about it?
Typing fast is great and all, especially if your job involves typing, but what are you really typing? Could you be communicating that message any clearer? I believe you could be, yes. I find, when typing e-mails or messages, that I think it and, before I’ve even finished the thought, the words are on screen. Did I really process that thought, or is it just sitting there on my mind, waiting to be finished and compiled?
Ironically enough, I believe the answer is both in front and away from the screen.
Reading the words of others, in whatever context, is a great way to relax the mind. Forcing oneself to slow down and carefully read what another has written helps the mind to enter a state of relaxation. After all, those words were most likely clearly thought through prior to printing (yes, printing). Essentially, the desired feeling of ease and calm, projected through the words of others.
As bogus as that may sound, another solution is to type. This blog post is a perfect example of this. Every day, I have at least a few random thoughts or questions pass through my mind (those typical “what if” or “wouldn’t it be interesting if” questions). Getting those down in a blog post or on paper is a great way to ease and de-clutter the mind.
This blog post was written in a single sitting, almost as a stream of consciousness. I should really blog more often… writing feels great. 🙂
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