If you are anything like me, Monday mornings are like an allegory of Pinball Wizard. The Wizard is sending me in all directions and I am at his mercy. Yet I never wanted to be part of his game. One thing is certain. He sure plays a mean pinball. Why is it that I have more time-saving devices than ever before, but less and less time? I can connect with anyone anywhere in the world, and yet I cannot seem to find time to connect with my own thoughts, or connect with those across the dinner table.

Constantly flipping between screens and windows and responding to dings and messages, I feel busy and productive, especially if I don’t know what I should be doing. The real fallout is the TILT–we forget what we were thinking about before we were thinking about this new shiny thing that just popped up. Our time is constantly fractured. With everything getting only half our brain, how could we possibly discover any eurekas? One thing technology cannot do is teach us how to make the wisest use of technology. In a culture of distraction, nothing can be more important than sitting still. In a world of interruptions, we desperately need focus.

Steve Jobs said that creativity is just connecting things- and connecting them in new ways that have not been connected before. He said that you cannot connect the dots of your life by looking forward. You can only connect them by looking backwards. We all want more creativity and perspective. The caveat here is you can only connect the dots if you make the time to connect them. Without time to reflect, we only have the dot-to-dot, with no connecting line and no big picture.

An uninterrupted day is virtually impossible. Focus is not impossible. Focus is a choice. Regaining mindfulness can be as simple as pulling the plug on the pinball game. Schedule spaces in your week to be screen free. Concentrate on good words to tether the helium balloon thoughts back to the ground.

All of us have favorite quotes that have hit the nail on the head and helped us to regain a sense of balance. If you have a favorite quote that has helped to anchor your journey, chances are it will also help someone else. Encouragement is meant to be shared. From now till mid-December, you are invited to share your favorite quotation on our FaceBook page in our iCan Quote Contest. Quotes chosen by popular vote will be designed into custom art. You will also be in the running to win two subscriptions to iCan quotes, one for yourself and one to encourage a friend. 

See more at our Facebook Page here: Official Contest Details and Rules

That’s this week’s Imagination Hat!