For a few summers many years ago, I spent time at a monastery.

It was the most glorious time in which I had a full appreciation for being there. The day started at 3:30am, ended at 7pm and had just the right amount of work, rest and prayer. It was also dead silent during meals and after 5:30pm.

As someone who teaches middle school (high-energy and wonderfully loud) and comes home to a young family (even higher energy and also wonderfully loud), silence and rest are hard (impossible?) to come by.

Instead, life requires the cultivation of a skill to tune out the noise and focus on the critical. It also requires an ability to ignore most of what wants your attention and pick only what matters.

Unless there’s a willingness to run away and be back in a monastery (I use the place metaphorically here), thereby running away from all responsibilities, the only way to progress forward is with those two skills. 

In our world of constant noise and items that constantly vie for our attention, being able to tune it all out is key to preventing burnout. Moving forward today requires a discernment of what really matters and ignoring the rest.

While tuning things out may appear rude, it has become necessary.