If a Tree Falls in a Forest…
You’ve heard the old philosophical riddle “If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?”
Raising questions about reality, this question has undoubtedly claimed countless hours of debate in the halls of our colleges and universities.
I find it relevant today as I make changes in my business and life.
As I pull back from my business, I begin to wonder what would happen if I completely disappeared from the public eye. No, I am not talking about being a Howard Hughes. Not only do I not have his money or fly planes, but I’m also not certifiably insane. Besides, Leonardo DiCaprio wouldn’t be the right guy to play me a film.
But what would happen to someone in the public eye if they ceased to be in the public eye?
I suspect that this is why many celebrities like to keep front and center in the mindspace of the general public. They don’t want anyone to forget them. For many, being thought of by others gives them value. It makes them feel significant.
As my blog tends more towards personal development, life issues and spiritual matters, I can’t help but wonder what would happen to someone that ceased blogging and using social media.
What if I didn’t tweet any more? What if I stopped posting on Facebook? What if I ceased using LinkedIn and posting videos on YouTube? And what if my blog went into “silent mode” with no new posts?
Let’s say this went on a week. I doubt many people would notice.
How about a month? Hmmm, people might think something is up.
What about a year? In Internet time, that’s something like TEN years!
Would people notice that a person is gone for all intents and purposes? Would the lack of current, relevant information cause people to forget that the person ever existed? After all, in our info-overload society, out of sight IS out of mind.
Corporations pay BIG bucks to keep their brand in front of the general public. PR firms are constantly seeking angles and creating new pitches to keep their clients in from of the media. And bloggers blog regularly, otherwise they may cease to be relevant.
The fact is that we are inundated with information. It’s not like any one source is necessary these days. If one ceases to operate, we just find our information elsewhere.
In an era where anyone can find a voice using the Internet, it’s amazing how quickly we can be forgotten.
Yet, our true significance doesn’t come from how many people visit our website. It doesn’t come from how many followers or friends we have in the social media space. It doesn’t come from how many media outlets write stories about us. And it most certainly doesn’t come from our successes or failures.
Our problem is that we allow ourselves to be defined by others. But I am learning that my significance has absolutely nothing to do with what any of you think of me. (Though there are those whose opinions I greatly value.) Who I am is not measured by my fame, money, power, followers, readers or anything else like that.
My significance comes from God alone. He is the one who tells me who I am. And He is the only one qualified to do so. Think about it… why should we put stock in the opinions of others who are just as flawed as we are?
The good news is that God has some really cool stuff to say about me! He’s got cool stuff to say about you, too. But you have to be willing to listen and to accept it.
Is it fun to have people engage with me on my blog? Absolutely. Do I enjoy seeing people reply to my Facebook posts? Certainly. Is there any greater rush than standing in front of a large audience and having their attention? Not really. With one exception.
At my son’s college, there are big letters printed across the scoreboard on the sporting field. It says “Audience of One.” It is a reminder that while we are here to love and serve each other, we are not to find our significance in each other. Nor are we to seek the applause of man as our primary goal.
We are influenced by others, but ultimately there is only One whose opinion really counts. The peace of knowing His opinion of me is something I am learning more about each day. Turns out that is more of a rush than blog comments, Facebook replies and a standing ovation after a talk.
In this light, the things of our world become less important. Yes, I could be the tree in the forest and fall to the ground, whether or not anyone was there to take notice.
Don’t get me wrong. This doesn’t mean that life isn’t hard. It doesn’t mean that others can’t hurt me. It is and they do. More about in future posts.
It’s getting deep in here, my friends. And it’s going to get deeper.
Whoa, Joel! What the heck is happening to you? Can you please talk more about AdSense, social media and iPhone apps?
Maybe. Maybe not. We are each on a journey. This is my journey. But don’t think for a moment that I’ve got it all figured out. I can’t tell you how many times I feel like I have drawn the “Go Back to Start” card in this game of life. I’m just sharing what I am learning along the way because I think it is important.
If you want to come along on this journey, I invite your path to intersect with mine. If not, that’s okay with me. You can just consider me a tree falling in a distant forest.
How about you? Do you get your significance from your social status, your bankbook or your influence? Do you let others tell you who you are or are you secure regardless of what others say? As always, I’m eager to hear your thoughts.
Joel,
I don’t know where your journey will take you but I think that with your immense following you can influence how people think about their lives. You are so sincere in your writing that there is the possibility that you will touch someone’s heart – probably many someone’s.
Blessings on your journey.
PattiAnn
Quantum leap.
New orbit.
New revelations.
New work.
Zuckerbarg, Zuckerberg – are you praying?
Love.
Joel, is God a “He”? Use of the male gender pronouns (He, His, Him) suggests God is specifically male in gender. May I suggest that imagining God as “male” is a limiting idea. If you can imagine God as both/neither male/female, it will move your faith into a larger, less limited understanding of Who God Is.
– Tame
I’m sure you have read this quote before, but it seems apropos……….
“This above all: to thine own self be true,
And it must follow, as the night the day,
Thou canst not then be false to any man.
Farewell, my blessing season this in thee!”
I know you know who penned it, but from what play is it from ?, a hint is from Father to Son.
good luck,
Phil
“He had to visit me personally. To shake my hand. To come sit with me in my home, eat with me, laugh with me, cry with me to tell me that he has come to share my pain.”
Caesar, I agree – God has become real for me especially through my contact with real people, both women and men of wisdom who (like Joel) have shared their lives with me in a personal way. We can all be bearers of God to one another because the Spirit of God is alive within us. Thanks for that reminder.
– Tame
I haven’t read your blog in a while and was attracted by today’s title which reminds me of my training in Quantum Physics, my research in Quantum Measurement Theory and my 30+ years experience with various technologies of consciousness such as Transcendental Meditation, etc.
Thanks to practices such meditation, inquiry, etc. I have long ago come to realize that the ultimate and permanent inner peace and happiness only exists deep within and it cannot be obtained from outer things such as objects or people’s attention (though I am still craving at times for attention it seems).
I found that such inner peace is the natural by-product of creating my own inner freedom from addiction to negative emotional reactions to life. I even developed my own quick and simple process to create PERMANENT unconditional freedom from such bad feelings that drive all consumption in life–I call it the unconditional freedom process (see my website for details)
Like your WS do you Phil, it’s Polonius giving advice to his son Laertes in Hamlet.
The first part of the advice might have avoided the banking fiasco, who knows ?
Neither a borrower nor a lender be,
For loan oft loses both itself and friend,
And borrowing dulls the edge of husbandry.
To finish with the Bard, “all the worlds a stage….” time for my exit.
John — you said it all. So sad that so many are living their lives like a hampster running on an exercise wheel — trying to go faster and faster to get further and further and really going nowhere. I don’t know much about Joel’s story, but am thankful for someone like him to open up the subject of God, and thankful for you to more clearly define God through His only son, Jesus who loves us now and loved us back then enough to suffer and die on the cross for us.
Thanks you!
Interesting. In the Book of Mormon, the book of Mosiah, chapter 2, verse 17 it says: “And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God.” This seems to be in line with the thought of us needing to help one another.
I always thought the tree falling in the forest question was silly. There is air in the forest, and sound waves would be generated from a falling tree if anyone was there to hear them or not. My faith is based to some degree on science.
I appreciate that thought, Dennis. However, you should know that I do not recognize the mormon faith as anything other than a cult. I do not wish to get into a debate about it at this point, but for those who are interested in seeing just how different the “Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints” (Mormons) are from Biblical Christianity, this is a good place to start.
Compare Mormonism and Christianity
Hamlet, Act 1, Scene 3. Polonius gave advice to his son Laertes before Laertes went off to spy on Hamlet. It was his first time away from home, and Polonius, the fool, gave some great advice. I remember my teacher explaining that it was some sort of literary device to have the fool, in one place, speak some wisdom. Now, I don’t know what that literary device is called. Great advice on money, choosing friends, how to dress, and to use judgement.
I would kindly suggest that the “Mormons” have a website of their own. If you were interested in what “they” have to say, maybe you should read what “they” publish.
Sure, you can suggest it. But since this is my blog I’m not giving any link juice to their site.
Loved the “Audience of One.” And I totally agree that “the things of our world become less important” and they should. As we mature and grow more spiritually conscious it would be great if we begin to respond from our hearts when situations that arise, rather than out of a need to be significant. I recently read this rather esoteric article at http://www.enlightenment-online.com/Sri_Bhagavan_on_Significance.html that explains how our minds compromise every moment of our life, and tells how to determine where our actions are coming from. All of this leads to peace. Your journey sounds like it’s unfolding beautifully, Joel. Good for you.
Somehow I just wrote my latest ezine on a similar topic. The fact that you are NOT talking about adsense but are talking from the heart, I think that inspires WAY more devotion and connection from people than if you just gave the worlds best dissertation on adsense.
The thing we all need to remember is that in the latest IM world of social marketing the connection you make is more valuable than the products you create. You have to create multiple products, but you only have to create one strong connection to people for lasting success.
Connection made here. Thank you for keeping it real
Heaven knows the world needs more Christians who live 24/7 for Jesus. One person can make a difference. I have found the older I get the more I want to make a difference– on God’s terms. Seems like you’ve reached that point too. God bless your journey.
My journey has always been a spiritual one. I don’t seek social status, but like yourself, I’ll always be on the net because of what I’ve published. But that is not important. “He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity.” (Ecclesiastes 5:10). The Lord says to “seek and ye shall find.” But where shall we seek? Many years ago (1974?), I read a good copy of Moby Dick. It was a good copy because it had footnotes that explained the outdated text. The book was written a hundred years ago! The whole book is online now, which makes it easy to search. One word has stuck with me, and that is Dives. Somewhere in the book, Dives is referenced. The foot note said that Dives was the name of the rich man in Luke 16: 19-31. My Catholic bible didn’t name the rich man, and neither did my King James. What bible did Herman Melville read? My studies of several different bibles have taught me that what we have are poor translations that are not complete. And there are many contradictions. We can’t just read our bibles, we have to study and pray about them. The Koran has the same problem in that there are several translations. But we have the promise that if we seek, we shall find. And some where in there, we are commanded to read the scriptures, and feast on the word of God. It will be a life long pursuit. However, I have been told that Dives is named in a version called the Vulgate. Jannes and Jambres are also in Moby Dick; they are the magicians who opposed Moses. Life is interesting.
Dear Joel,
Sounds like you are now approaching the next step in your life.
Your spirituality is now developing, and it’s great.
Your soul needs the nurturing, and you will find new ways to do that.
Welcome to the club!
May I be so bold as to suggest my websites to get you into Meditating, if you haven’t done so already.
I am not one of the Gurus out there, but they are highly overrated anyway.
If you gain any insight from the sites, I would be very honored.
I have been wondering about God the other day and I realize one thing…..He definitely enjoys attention, He makes 6 billions and make them all pay attention to Him…
Dear Joel,
Congratulations! You have started on the journey of Self Realisation on which every human should because this the real purpose of getting human life.
It does not matter whether you have money or not. It does not matter what you have done with your social life, what are your material goals, what people think about you or what you think about people, etc. etc. All that matters is what you think about yourself and whether you know who You are.
The difference in God and Soul is only upto the time the Soul elevate the knowledge about its Own Spiritual Self. When the Soul realises that it is inseparable part or God, the Supreme Power or the Supreme Cosmic Energy – by whatever name you may call – it becomes God. Actually, there is nothing like becoming God – Soul is God, only the realisation is needed. And when one gets this coveted Self Realisation, one is filled with universal love for all material and non-material things – because then One knows that everything is One. In Sanatan Dharam (Hinduism) we call it Aum or Om – the ultimate sound, the ultimate energy, the figureless, unlimited, everpresent, Supreme power.
Best wishes,
Your very own
Hemant Kumar Dubey
Joel,
Us, as humans…
We are social creatures by nature. Call it evolution, or creationism, but people are just social.
We have this hard-wired need to want to be seen & heard.
So while you are on your new journey, NOT asking you to take us along for the ride to share your experience would be the crime (sin).
You are examining your life – reflecting on your business model, etc. All that we, your audience, asks is that you continue to keep us in the loop.
Best,
-Kevin
Hello Joel. Thank you for your honest writing – always the best reading. On the subject of those noiseless trees… my family and I just drew the ‘Go Back to Start’ card, and shifted from New Zealand to the middle of a Redwood forest in northern California. I can confirm that, often in the woods, trees fall over and we don’t hear it (sometimes right outside our front door!), but the rest of the forest does. Mother Nature might be offended to know she’s thought of as ‘no one’…
We planned to disappear – from downtown, cell coverage, traffic and mortgages – but satellite dishes make it all too easy to keep appearing. We Skype, Facebook, Blog and Google from the middle of 2000 acres of trees, because, I suspect, we need to feel connected. As you said, Kevin (above), we’re social creatures. I think a sense of significance comes from loving oneself and also feeling love from others (easily confused with popularity) and my inbox, sadly, is a means to receiving it. Even celebrities need regular doses of genuine love. Hey, but don’t you disappear, because then we would all miss out.
Angela
My view is that what really counts in life is what I know the truth is about me and what God knows the truth about me is. Is the truth always plesant when I look in the mirror, no, but facing it and confessing it to God draws me closer to him.
Well, hey now. This is a great article. I’m a little hesitant to agree with everything, but you made me think and that’s important. Keep up the awesome articles and I hope your book does well.