In today's fast-paced world, there is a rush to consume as much information as possible in the shortest amount of time. Whether it's scrolling through social media feeds, reading news articles, or trying to learn a new skill, we're in a hurry to get to the next thing on our to-do list. Contrary to our societal norms, more and faster isn’t always better. Sometimes we have to go slow in order to go far, and this is especially true when learning about spirituality!
What happens when we rush through the material? When I discovered a new mentor (Carolyn Elliott) and enrolled in her course, she recommended two weeks per module, but I finished five modules in one week. With the first module, my brain was exploding with new truths and I had reached intense levels of bliss due to insights from her work. By the end of the week, I was feeling overwhelmed and frazzled, and physically I was experiencing overheating, anxiety, and insomnia. Yet I still felt the compulsion to consume more, to chase the high I felt at the beginning of the week, because I was feeling worse than when I started. Then it dawned upon me that I was experiencing “intellectual indigestion”.
Consuming knowledge is no different than eating a meal. We can slowly savour a gourmet dinner, or scarf down fast food. Not only does the content of what we are consuming matter, it also matters HOW we consume it. This is especially true of ultra-dense profound spiritual and philosophical teachings. Continuing with the food analogy, they would be the equivalent of super nutritious energy bombs that can take us to the next level of health. However, if taken improperly, we get wicked indigestion where none of the nutrients actually get absorbed.
When exploring complex concepts, there are multiple layers to understanding. These ideas require a deeper level of contemplation and reflection than most other topics. If we try to rush through the learning process, we will miss important insights, and fail to integrate these new ideas into our worldview. We need to take the time to chew slowly, appreciate the flavours, and allow the nutrients to be released.
This might mean reading a book or listening to a lecture multiple times, taking notes, or engaging in regular meditation or reflection on what we've learned. It's important to give ourselves permission to take our time with these topics, rather than feeling pressured to move on to the next thing. For me, I decided to “fast” for a few days with no content consumption. When the desire to learn sparked again, I started slowly. I limited myself to one paragraph a day, then spent the rest of the day applying the knowledge to my thoughts and actions. The results have been outstanding. I have a much deeper understanding of the material, and I can see how it manifests in my life, rather than just accumulating knowledge. In fact, now I am considering doing just one paragraph every two days!
With spirituality, we're learning to deepen our understanding of ourselves and how we relate to the universe. This takes time, effort, and repeated application. There is no “quick fix” or “fast food” version of integrating spiritual truths in our daily lives. The journey of spiritual growth is a lifelong process, and the more we rush, the more behind we become. Take your time, be kind to yourself, and enjoy the journey 😊
For those who prefer an audio version, the youtube video is below:
