One Thing You Can Do About Mindful Consumption

Here is one thing you can do about mindful consumption: turn off your TV:)! Mindful consumption is the subject of the Fifth of the Five Mindfulness Trainings. It reads,

Aware of the suffering caused by unmindful consumption, I am committed to cultivate good health, both physical and mental, for myself, my family, and my society by practicing mindful eating, drinking, and consuming. I am committed to ingest only items that preserve peace, well-being, and joy in my body, in my consciousness, and in the collective body and consciousness of my family and society. I am determined not to use alcohol or any other intoxicant or to ingest foods or other items that contain toxins, such as certain TV programs, magazines, books, films, and conversations. I am aware that to damage my body or my consciousness with these poisons is to betray my ancestors, my parents, my society, and future generations. I will work to transform violence, fear, anger, and confusion in myself and in society by practicing a diet for myself and for society. I understand that a proper diet is crucial for self-transformation and for the transformation of society.
– Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh and the Monks and Nuns of Plum Village

Thich Nhat Hanh is not the only one writing about “certain TV programs.” This is what Brian Tracy has to say in his book, No Excuses!: The Power of Self-Discipline.

What is President Obama Saying? | Snagged from a YouTube video

“Your television set can make you rich or poor. If you watch it all the time, it will make you poor. Psychologists have shown that the more television you watch, the lower are your levels of energy and self-esteem. At an unconscious level, you don’t like or respect yourself as much if you sit there hour after hour watching television. People who watch too much television also gain weight and become physically unfit from sitting around too much. Your television can also make you rich—but only if you turn it off. When you turn off your television, you free up time that you can then use to invest in becoming a better, smarter, and more competent person. When you leave your television off when you are with your family, you will find yourself talking, sharing, communicating, and laughing more often. When you leave your television off for extended periods of time, you break the habit of watching television—and you will hardly miss it at all. Your television can be an excellent servant, but it’s a terrible master. The choice is yours.”
~ Brian Tracy from No Excuses!: The Power of Self-Discipline

I have stopped watching commercial television altogether – except for an occasional tennis match. I do watch non-commercial TV with shows on spiritual subjects especially Buddhism, science and cosmology, nature, and life, mostly on Netflix, YouTube, and Vimeo.

What do you plan to do to do about watching TV and mindful consumption?

Books by Brian Tracy

No Excuses!: The Power of Self-Discipline by Brian Tracy Most people think success comes from good luck or enormous talent, but many successful people achieve their accomplishments in a simpler way: through self-discipline. No Excuses! shows you how you can achieve success in all three major areas of your life, including your personal goals, b… [Read More…]