A Holiday Message

I’d like to take a moment and thank you for your patience. Here at 3THN2, we have been working to improve both our site and our offerings. This has proven to be a slower process than we anticipated, but should make for a better 2013. Now on with the blog posting.

Have you ever wondered why virtually every religion has a sacred event this time of year? Well, it is because our ancestors realized the power of the seasons and the need for us to take stock of the past year, and what is to come. This time of year is centered around the winter solstice – the shortest day of the year. In Taoist terms, this is the maximum Yin point of the year. Our ancestors realized that this time of year allowed for rest since the harvest time had passed and the growing season was yet to come. All of the plants and animals recognized this time as a time for rest and dormancy. Sacred holidays this time of year provided the necessary social events to entice people to take the needed rest and time to reflect.

In our modern world, we never stop. The ability to be constantly “on” has never been greater. The internet, smart phones, Faccebook, Skype, etc., have allowed us to remain in constant contact. I constantly observe people attempting to carry on a conversation while simultaneously flipping through something on their smart phone (or iPad, or Kindle,or tablet, or just looking around). All of this ability to stay in constant contact is actually destroying interpersonal interaction. Like the Jack of all trades yet master of none, by attempting to be in contact with everyone all the time, we are losing the ability to focus in a one on one interaction – which is the one that matters most.

So, during these holidays, please take the time as our ancestors intended and unplug from all of your various devices and take stock of what has occurred and what you would like to occur in the future. Play a board game, or take a walk in the park, or most importantly, go get a coffee (or tea, or whatever) with someone you care about and have an in-person conversation. Reclaim your ability to form a human connection.

Team 3THN2