The Insights of Overlooking

Quotes from Oliver Burkeman’s Meditations for Mortals

‘The art of being wise is the art of knowing what to overlook.’ William James

I was meant to write this post last week, but I completely overlooked it. I even had a bit of a first draft ready. But due to a pressing dream that I’d had the night before I was going to finish writing it, I used the time to analyse the dream, and the replacement piece to process some of its possible meanings. So now, this week’s post is so much easier to write, because I overlooked it for something far more present in energy. And as I overlook that overlooking, I am greeted, not only with a first draft from which to begin this rumination, but an increased conviction that there is so much wisdom in this business of overlooking. In fact, I am overlooking my original, far narrower, definition of overlooking, and now think its rich treasures go far deeper than the William James quote implies.

In fact, I feel quite giddy as I write this post this morning, because, if wisdom is about knowing what to overlook, then I think there is so much cause for genuine optimism, jubilation, and gratitude, in this age of doom and gloom, for there is so much to overlook! I mean, if this isn’t the age of a great awakening then I don’t know what is!

This isn’t the age of rage; it’s the age of the sage! (Giddy, I tell you, giddy!)

So let us celebrate all the wonderful ways we can walk the wisdom of overlooking.

Overlooking is Ignoring

Ignoring exciting opportunities, missed opportunities, limited offers, breaking news, must reads, bucket lists, top tens, unbelievable deals, recommended for you, heartbreaking, outrageous, deeply disturbing, true story, true crime, unmissable, act now, silence is violence, subscribe here, text now, sign this, speak out, speak up, please share, please read, please give, don’t skip, are you a human, tick this box...

Overlooking is Forgiving

Forgiving the imperfections of places, piles of washing, people, plans, past-lives, brainstorms, opinions, questions, heresies, wordings, dust, blasphemies, incorrectness, thoughts, phraseology, terminology, wondering, jokes, rants, outbursts, bad grammar, bad days, bad breath, banter, B.O, dry skin, flaky scalps, dissidence, risk, experimentation, spelling, spilling, cultural appreciation...

Overlooking is Neglecting

Neglecting toxic ties, bloodlines, purity creeds, Nirvana fallacies, perfect dreams, false dichotomies - and all the uncontrollable, yet completely predictable, features of our real-life realities...

Overlooking is Seeing

Seeing beyond the facades, fantasies, and fakery of our instinctual, habitual, and socialised storylines, to the ever-evolving mystery of a deeply beautiful, divine comedy, tragedy, and romance...

Overlooking is Imagining

Imagining our way to a kingdom within, beyond the walls of our imprisoned, paranoid minds, to a playful palace of inner peace - rich in rooms, artistry, libraries, chapels, labyrinths, orchards, and gardens...

Overlooking is not just wisdom

Overlooking is salvation

Awake our souls

Awake

Amen