You’ll hear a lot of positive thought writers saying you should
NOT watch television. What is my take on the matter. Read on
and you may discover something interesting.
First, most television is negative. Most of it offers very little value
and detracts from you playing an active role in life. Instead of
being a DOER – you passively watch “other” DOERS.
Second, some t.v. is fantastic. A number of programs for kids –
and adults – place you in a state of wonder and excitement to
learn new things. My daughter, Faith, has learned most of her
English watching this little girl named Dora and her brother
Diego. And the few times I’ve watched Sponge Bob with my
kids I’ve been amazed at the number of references to concepts
like the “power of your imagination” – visualization, mental movie
theatres, and so on.
Third, the news is almost always something to avoid watching. Your
goal for today, this week or this month is probably not a worthwhile one
if it is nothing more than getting the latest scoop on Anna Nicole Smith
or Britney Spears.
Fourth, if you’re in the entertainment business, the info-
marketing business, the copy writing business – or anything like
that – then you CAN watch the news. But – you watch it not so you have
an excuse to be negative. Not at all. You watch it to turn the negative
into a positive. You watch the so-called “idiot box” for one reason
and one reason only – it gives you fodder for what you need to write or
say.
Because so much of society IS tuned into the the latest about Rosie, Anna,
Britney, Madonna, J. Lo, Janet, Michael Jackson, Tonya Harding and so
on – it’s an easy way to come up with something to write or speak
about that will pull the average reader or listener in. And so, in this case,
although you’re supposedly doing something passive – you’re doing it in
an active way.
The above represents what I consider a balanced view on the subject of
television watching. The key questions to ask yourself about your watching
of t.v. are as follows:
1. Is what you’re watching inspiring you to become MORE than you are right
now. If so, you’re watching something useful. My son gets mega excited
watching NFL football. It’s kindled a desire in him to learn more, be more
and do more. The same goes when he watches Animal Planet or Discovery or
the History channels.
2. Is the time you’re spending watching tee-vee leading you closer to or
further away from your goals.
3. How much more could you accomplish in life if you cut back on the time
you spend before the tee-vee.
What are my tee-vee habits? you ask.
Good question:
On MOST days I don’t watch a single minute of t.v. Not one. I have never
watched a single minute of The Sopranos – and don’t care.
If you begin talking about your favorite shows, chances are I will not have
a clue as to what you are saying.
Last point: Our home has a big screen HDTV with 500 and some channels. The
size of my library, however, makes the large black box seem like a sheet of
paper. If you were to offer me a few thousand bucks for my t.v. – I’d sell it to
you. If you offered me the same sum of money to borrow a few books from
my library, the answer would be “no.”
Jim Rohn is noted for saying you’ll know the direction someone is heading in
life by the size of his t.v. when compared to the size of his library. I think he’s
right.
I also think you’ll know the direction someone is going based upon how much
time he spends reading compared to time spent watching t.v.
Something to think about, eh.
Yours,
Matthew Furey
Zen Master of the Internet®
P.S. The best thing you can watch will always be the movies you play in your
imagination – in the Theatre of the Mind. Those in my Fearless Success Coaching
program know how true this is. Be sure to become part of it today, yourself, by
going to http://www.psycho-cybernetics.com/fearless_success.html