America is a place to be heard.

Unfortunately, the noise from social media drowns out clear-headed thinking. Quick-hit stories drive endless conversations on the smartphone whilst brilliant literature stays dormant on the 3rd floor of the local library. An emerging band called The Blankz can get discovered fast while dead poets disappear into oblivion when they are no longer listed on Amazon.

We have become suckers for the endless cycle of commercial babble. When we turn off social media, it’s possible to feed our minds by reading, writing, and reflecting. This is how to quiet the mind.

Pico Iyer is an author whose books I discovered back in college. Fast forward to 2018. I had the fortune to spend some time with him at a retreat. Pico has accomplished a lot in this blurry age of social media. This great talk is worthy of your time. Look forward to meeting him and Hiroko on my next trip to Japan.