room to breathe

I just finished a book entitled "How We Decide", by Jonah Lehrer. The title says it all; it’s a book about how our brains make decisions. Traditionally, it was thought that purely relying on our rational mind, w/ as little emotion as possible, was best. But, the author asserts that using all facets of our minds (both reason and feeling), in a balanced manner produces the best results. Not only that, but knowing when to step back and think, and when to follow your hunch, and being aware enough to know when to employ each. It was a fascinating read, w/ lots of interesting examples and research. One study explained in the book kept jiggling in my head after I read it. Here’s the excerpt from the book:

“Consider this experiment. You're sitting in a bare room, with just a table and a chair. A scientist in a white lab coat walks in and says that he's conducting a study of long-term memory. The scientist gives you a seven-digit number to remember and asks you to walk down the hall to the room where your memory will be tested. On the way to the testing room, you pass a refreshment table for subjects taking part in the experiment. You are given a choice between a decadent slice of German chocolate cake and a bowl of fruit salad. What do you choose? Now let's replay the experiment. You are sitting in the same room. The same scientist gives you the same explanation. The only difference is that instead of being asked to remember a seven-digit number, you are given only two numbers, a far easier mental task. You then walk down the hall and are given the same choice between cake and fruit. You probably don't think the number of digits will affect your choice; if you choose the chocolate cake, it is because you want cake. But you'd be wrong. The scientist who explained the experiment was lying; this isn't a study of long-term memory, it's a study of self-control. When the results from the two different memory groups were tallied, the scientists observed a striking shift in behavior. Fifty-nine percent of people trying to remember seven digits chose the cake, compared to only 37 percent of the two-digit subjects. Distracting the brain with a challenging memory task made a person much more likely to give in to temptation and choose the calorie-dense dessert… The subjects' self-control was overwhelmed by five extra numbers.”

What I found so interesting about this study was how it related to another book I read a few years back, "Margin" by Richard Swenson. In "Margin", Swenson asserts that we live a marginless existence, where our time is maxed out, finances are constantly stretched, and, as a result, our relationships are on the back burner. He advocates the act of simplifying our lives, allowing for more margin; margin to give to others from our time and wealth, and margin to be present w/ others doing the things we love.

The parallel from the study from "How We Decide" w/ the choices in refreshments and living w/ margin seemed obvious. When we max out our lives, financially, mentally, and relationally, we end up living a life we will wish we did different. We make lifestyle choices that we may regret, ranging from an unhealthy diet to having a distant relationship w/ our family. In John 10:10, Christ tells us, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” He came to give us not only a life, but a rich life. I believe many of the values we hold in North America are not helping us live the full lives Jesus desires for us. I believe this fuller life He desires for us is a life that allows us room to breathe, room to observe what God is doing around us (and praise Him for it), room to jump on board w/ what He is doing, and room to engage those around us who are both joy-filled and full of grief.

I don’t want to be overwhelmed by 5 extra numbers, or five things that will take me away from being present w/ others or would blur my vision of the God who is constantly present w/ us. I’m not advocating that we quit our jobs or blow off responsibility; I am, however advocating that we chill out a bit, take a deep breath, and consider how we can engage ourselves in the things that have greater purpose, and perhaps trim the unnecessary things that may slow us down from loving God, and loving others.