The Dallas Morning News March 20, ran a Mary Jacobs column about email spam, and how recipients are often intimidated into forwarding silly, sappy, or insipid messages they would otherwise delete.
The intimidation comes from the last line of the email -- promising good luck if the email is, or threatening bad luck if the email isn’t, forwarded – to 5 people right away.
Unfortunately, email sometimes incudes junk. So like mail from the Post Office, email is about making choices. First choice: shall I read it-- is it from someone who sends reputable emails?
Second choice: is it worth sharing? That is, is the content awesomely beautiful, usefully amazing, delightfully funny, or constructively educational? If it doesn’t meet any of these minimum standards, the best thing is to not waste anymore time on it -- delete it. By deleting, we are refusing to be manipulated.
The intimidation comes from the last line of the email -- promising good luck if the email is, or threatening bad luck if the email isn’t, forwarded – to 5 people right away.
Unfortunately, email sometimes incudes junk. So like mail from the Post Office, email is about making choices. First choice: shall I read it-- is it from someone who sends reputable emails?
Second choice: is it worth sharing? That is, is the content awesomely beautiful, usefully amazing, delightfully funny, or constructively educational? If it doesn’t meet any of these minimum standards, the best thing is to not waste anymore time on it -- delete it. By deleting, we are refusing to be manipulated.
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Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble,
whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely,
whatever is admirable --
if anything is excellent or praiseworthy
-- think about such things.
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Our thinking is much like a mail box. Thoughts come to us in many forms -- good, bad, ugly. And we get to choose which thoughts to spend time with.
What helps me is to ask: What’s the source?
I've come to trust that when thoughts are good, unselfish, offer broad blessing -- they are most likely from God and worth listening to and praying about.
Thoughts that are critical, complaining, or anxious most likely are not from God and, well, they are the spam of the mental world.
It's wonderful to be able to give troublesome thoughts to God, find out His/Her view of what's bothersome, and stay with what this infinite Mind is knowing and doing, and to look for evidence of God's hand guiding throughout the day.
What helps me is to ask: What’s the source?
I've come to trust that when thoughts are good, unselfish, offer broad blessing -- they are most likely from God and worth listening to and praying about.
Thoughts that are critical, complaining, or anxious most likely are not from God and, well, they are the spam of the mental world.
It's wonderful to be able to give troublesome thoughts to God, find out His/Her view of what's bothersome, and stay with what this infinite Mind is knowing and doing, and to look for evidence of God's hand guiding throughout the day.
Whatever inspires and uplifts, offers constructive solutions, makes us feel good deep down inside, this is good stuff, and worth pondering.
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Look away from the body into Truth and Love,
Look away from the body into Truth and Love,
the Principle of all happiness, harmony, and immortality.
Hold thought steadfastly to the enduring, the good, and the true,
and you will bring these into your experience
proportionably to their occupancy of your thoughts.
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