Is it possible to be on Twitter and to be contemplative at the same time?
That was one of my main concerns about Twitter before I started. Before that, Twitter seemed like the opposite of contemplation: writing without thinking, words without reflection. It is not unusual for some of the contemplative people I know to see Twitter, and other social media, as unnecessary distractions.
I was concerned about whether I could use, and appreciate, Twitter and continue developing a healthy sense of perspective.
I have been on Twitter for just over a year, and have connected with great people all over the world. I have made friends I have never met in person; people who have enriched my life in many ways, encouraged me, and taught me valuable lessons. I have been able to develop my practice as a leadership coach and a spiritual director. I enjoy myself, and laugh a lot. I share the burdens of people’s pain, and cry with them.
I have come to see that what I gain from Twitter depends on what I bring to it.
While I may not spend very much time on Twitter in actual contemplation, the depth and perspective that contemplation helps restore in my life is reflected in the way I use Twitter. As I gain strength in connecting contemplatively, I make stronger connections online. Contemplation helps me be a better listener; I am better able to be open and receptive to people on Twitter as well as in person. I make an effort to meet people who I know online in person.
Contemplation helps me become more authentically my true self, and that authenticity is reflected in the way I talk to people on Twitter and Facebook as well as in person.
Practicing contemplation helps me appreciate and listen to silence. Online, even when people from all over the world are exchanging fascinating insights and ideas, there is still silence that needs to be heard and appreciated.
How does who you are online help you become more deeply authentic to your truest self?
[Image by eidh]
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