I couldn't have said this better, I am a victim lured by the siren of the Internet, and must face off with it each day. Oh how to get the best out of the net without looking up at the clock and realising that you have been surfing for 4 or 5 hours? Well, Leo Babauta sends out a solution for us all:

"I’ll be the first to admit that I fall victim to the trap of the Internet — a wonderful empowering tool that can fill your day with distractions, a million little “productive” tasks that matter little, constant interruptions from messages and status updates.

Who doesn’t fall victim to this?

We are frittering our lives away.

So how do we beat this? How do we make best use of the awesomeness of the Internet (which has given me the power to do what I love) without succumbing to its powers of distraction? This is a question that obviously occupied the minds of the ancients, from Aristotle to Lao Tzu (who was particularly prone to Lolcats), without any good answer.

I have good news. There is a way. It’s not always easy, but I’ve done it, and if I can do it, anyone can.

It takes three little habits:

1. Set a time limit. Pick something important to do, and set a limited time to do it. That might be one hour, or 20 minutes, or even just 10 if you’re having a hard time getting into it. The time limit helps sharpen your focus. If you have limited time to do something, you’ll be forced to decide what’s important. It also means you’re not doing some unlimited task that could take hours, but a very specific one that will be over in X minutes. Setting a limit is good too for when you decide to process your email — only 20 minutes to get as many emails processed as you can, for example.

2. Close everything. This means everything possible on your computer that isn’t absolutely necessary for the task at hand. If you don’t need the Internet to write something, close it. Close email, all notifications and reminders, all programs not needed for your task. If you need your browser open, close all tabs — bookmark them, or save them to a read-later service like Instapaper. You can always open these sites when you’re done.

3. Pause before switching. So you’ve closed everything else, you’ve set a time limit for your task at hand, and you’re getting started … but then you get the urge to check email or Facebook or Twitter. You want to see what’s happening on Instagram or Pinterest or Youtube. Stop. Make yourself pause for 5-10 seconds. This is the key habit that makes the other two work. Take a deep breath. Think about whether you really want to fritter your life away doing those things all day, every day, or if you want to do something great. Choose great, most of the time.

These are little habits, and you can do them. When your time is up, you can give yourself a few minutes’ break to check your favorite sites, and then close them again. But when you’re trying to focus, practice these habits. They’re a small price to pay for a life not frittered away by distractions."

- Many thanks to LeoBabauta.com for this inspiring post!

Here is a simple method for measuring the integrity of your actions. "Imagine three gatekeepers standing between you and the actions you want to take or the things you want to purchase, or even the things you want to say. Each of these gatekeepers represents one question: Is it kind? Is it necessary? Is it true? To this day, I check in with these gatekeepers when I'm unsure about my course of action. And if it doesn't pass one of the gatekeepers—if the purchase isn't really necessary or the word isn't kind or the action true—I know I need to stop and rethink what I'm doing."- Suze Orman
Read more: http://www.oprah.com/money/Get-Over-Your-Money-Fears-Suze-Orman-Advice/2#ixzz1sjw7XsKk

How brilliant is that?

Sending support,
Leisa

Sometimes, as with my broken leg back in 2010, the universe makes you sit down, look up and take notice. And this time I didn’t notice the ever widening cracks in my living room ceiling, but I did notice that the universal force has sent me another wake up call, just in case I didn’t catch the last one.

Today I was honoured to be one of the first contributors to have their personal journey featured on the newly revamped Beyond Blue ‘My Story’ site. So, as any writer worth their salt would do, seconds after the happy email found its way to my Inbox,  (and after after a huge “Wow!” escaped my lips), I found myself clicking over to the BB website and reading the words I submitted.

I couldn’t remember when I had written that story, but Snap, a minute later I was hurtling back to that bone-cold night four years ago, with the treatment centre doors slamming behind me, and it hit me with as much force as an uncapped oil well. I might as well been covered in thick black Grade A crude standing there, shell shocked, gasping for air and dying on the inside.

I was and am an individual with mental health issues. I have depression, generalised anxiety disorder, and at times, have the delight of visits by the panic attack fairy.

And I need to remember this. Not as a badge of shame, or victimhood, or a ‘look at me’ aren’t I special awardwinner, but as in the same way we go to 12-step meetings to share and remember the events and choices that led us to the rooms, I must keep close to my heart and head why I am here, in recovery.

To heal, and be healed. To find joy and share it.

Guess that’s enough sermonizing from the mountaintop today

Stay safe, supported and loved.

Leisa