Working with blinders on

I was reading this article today in a newsletter that talked about the stress some people tend to feel in "trying to keep up with it all" going on with the Internet. How there are so many web sites, forums, etc., and so many people wondering how in the world we can continue doing what we do on the Internet while also staying on top of everything. The writer said, "You can't." There is just too much stuff out there. It's impossible to keep up with EVERYTHING out there. So, don't. Don't try.

In fact, it's best to work with blinders on. Only go to the sites that you NEED for your work and avoid the sites that only act as distractions.

I kept thinking about that piece of advice a lot today. Not that I've ever felt compelled to try to keep up with EVERYTHING on the Internet. There is just way too much stuff!! But I kept thinking about how working with blinders on could LIMIT what we get to see on the Internet. Like we won't be aware of the new stuff and the stuff that could BENEFIT our online work.

But something happened today that made me realize that, yes, it IS better to work with blinders on. You just HAVE to safeguard yourself from things that can cause pain or fear or even doubt.

There is something that happened in my past that stays with me even now. Something that involved someone who I've never even MET. And those feelings just....linger. I'm not angry about what happened anymore. Really, I'm not. I have FINALLY accepted the fact that there are just bad people on the Internet who pretend to be someone they are not and play with someone's emotions and hurt people. I was angry at myself for being stupid enough to allow that kind of thing to happen, but I'm not angry anymore. You know? That's just life. It HAPPENS. But I'm...confused and sad and I guess you could say what I ended up feeling even then still lingers even now. And I can't let it linger anymore. I have to close myself off from that, because that was neither here nor there. That was not who I thought it was and I MUST GET MYSELF TO REALIZE THIS. And just STOP letting my emotions get the better of me.

So, for this reason, I am trying my hardest to just erase that part of myself. Just close myself off from it.

I WILL be meeting the real person someday. Hopefully later this year. And when that happens, I don't want to be carrying this luggage. Because that sort of emotional baggage DOES NOT belong in that picture at all. I guess you could say I'm going to meet this person to PROVE to myself that I understand what really happened. And it's cool, you know? I don't have some...ulterior motive, or anything. Heck, I wanted to meet this person, anyway. LOL

But for the time being, I need to wear those blinders. I was supposed to get certain tasks done today and I didn't do them because I ended up "freezing up" over something I saw on the 'Net. It just got to me SO BAD that I just froze up. And I couldn't work. I was too upset. (Well, at least I queried the agents today. Yay.) I know what sites to avoid in order to avoid seeing stuff like that. And I will avoid them. I know what links NOT to click on. That stuff just REALLY gets to me, you know? I get sad and hurt and regretful all over again. And I can't have that. I just can't. It's interfering with the work and I can't let stuff interfere with the work. Too many people are relying on me to deliver.

So I guess in some cases....wearing blinders while I work on the 'Net can actually be a good thing. And I am going to try to get my heart to wear those blinders, too.