On doing things mindfully

 One of the realizations that have come with the lockdown is the importance of quality over quantity. Might seem rather obvious to some, so I might have arrived late to the party. Whether with regards to the number of books you read or films you watch, how you appreciate a book/film by paying close attention to it and pondering over it is of much more value than say, reading a hundred books or watching as many films a year. I see so many channels and accounts these days talking about "How to Read More", "How I Read 100 Books in a Year" and the like, and feel sad about the kind of toxic notion being perpetuated to their gullible audience. It is similar to the notion of constant work being equated to success. Of course you should make an effort to do these things, but doing them mindfully should be the goal, especially in today's world of shrinking attention spans and multiple distractions. Being able to articulate why you like/dislike a book or film, or imbibing a life lesson or understanding an aspect of your personality is to be prioritised any day rather than giving in to the attention economy. Vivek Tejuja was the catalyst who sparked the realization in me, though I hadn't jumped on that bandwagon anyway; I haven't read as profusely as I'd like to in years, nor have I gained much ground in watching the innumerable films on my list. Cliff Lee Sargent from Better Than Food also helped with his insights, of trying to find the best books that appeal to you in this short lifetime and reading them well, since no one will be able to read every book that's out there anyway. Sound advice, folks, though not to be taken as an excuse for picking up that phone again.