It’s the myth of multitasking. You can do it but it has a price. The Russian proverb, “If you chase two rabbits, you’ll not catch either one” is a commentary on prioritization. The metaphor suggests that the fullest level of accomplishment requires the most complete devotion of focus. Of course, there are plenty of lesser forms of accomplishment that can be enjoyed with partial engagement.
In an episode of Adventures of Superman (‘The Atomic Captive’) aired on March 3, 1958, Superman must attend to two global crises at the same time, requiring him to bilocate. While he was successful at becoming two people in two places, the cost was about half of his strength. He was no longer ‘super.’ Imagine having to stop the detonation of a nuclear bomb in one hemisphere while simultaneously disarming the evildoer with the secret code on another side of the planet as a mere man?
Many years ago, I nearly overheard the entire plot of a movie I had not yet seen while sitting in a public area. As soon as I realized that the storyline was about to be revealed, I wondered whether it was humanly possible to not listen to a conversation that was unfolding loudly at close range. So, I focused on the traffic noise and the music piping through the ceiling speakers until the narrator finished spoiling the punchline. Unfortunately, the cost of my success in not hearing a word he said was cognitive depletion. I was exhausted.
What does full engagement feel like to give or receive? The giver takes in the environment using all of their senses and becomes mindful. Past regrets and future worries disappear. The present moment flourishes in all colors. The receiver feels like they matter. They have been illuminated by becoming the center of someone else’s universe. How you show up matters.
We live in a busy and fast-paced world. The risk is the willingness to sacrifice strength and wellness to cover increasingly more ground. Sometimes the cost of quantity is quality.
