I don’t have to tell you what’s going on in the world.
You already know.
I don’t have to tell you what’s going on in your friends’ and families’ lives.
You already know.
I don’t have to tell you what people who added you on Facebook 10 years ago are doing.
You already know.
We all already know.
We know what’s happening abroad, what your cousin ate for breakfast, how Hans Zimmer scored Dune,1 and that quantum particles can impact each other across the universe.2
We’re all know-it-alls.
Table of Contents
What Is This Technique?
I developed this technique over the last few years to help me better navigate and utilize all of the information I take in.
I take in a lot of information on various topics almost daily. It used to be mostly personal growth/empowerment information, but I have balanced my information intake to include all the other things I’m into.
Either way, it’s a lot of stuff. And since we’re all deeper into the digital world, most of us are exposed to more and more information.
Some of it is true. Some of it is false.
Some of it is useful. Some of it is not.
Some of it is for us. Some of it is not for us.
This technique can help us sift and sort through this information to better utilize what is best for us and discard what isn’t.
I feel like the most common solution for people who don’t want to consume certain types of information is to simply avoid it. I was this way with the mainstream news.
However, I don’t think avoidance is a long-term solution. I’ve found that it can lead to a vulnerability in one’s mindset. Sometimes, you’re even more undesirably affected by the thing you’re trying to avoid when it pops into your airspace.
I do believe in being conscious of the types of information we are taking in and in what amounts, but complete avoidance (or over-indulgence) is not the answer.
So the technique I am about to share is not about avoidance.
This technique is about filtering.
It’s about consciously categorizing information as it comes in, like placing it into a filing cabinet.
In this way, we can gently discard the information that doesn’t resonate with us. Then we can tuck some information away for later, and we can take advantage of the information that is best for us right now.
The intention is to create a more balanced mechanism for taking in information, starting from within.
How to Use This Technique
This technique can be used for any content you take in, such as:
- Social media posts
- Articles
- Videos
- Books
- Podcasts
- Courses
It can be used for news, including global events, local news, or events in your friends’ and families’ lives.
It can be used for what your friends and family say, do, think, or feel about anyone or anything, including you.
It can be used for whatever you read, watch, or hear.
And the best part…
It’s simple.
Let’s dive in:
The Mental Filter Technique
As you take in information, the idea is to categorize it into one of three types:
- Yes
- No
- Maybe
That’s it.
“Yes” Information
“Yes” information is anything you resonate with right now.
It can benefit your life right now, it’s something you can utilize, or it’s something you can take advantage of.
It is information that will likely help you right now or something you connect with at this point in time.
It doesn’t matter whether this information is right for someone else, or if someone in your life would or would not approve of it.
If it is right for you, if it will likely benefit you, if you resonate with it, then it goes in the “Yes” column.
“No” Information
“No” information is anything you don’t resonate with.
It’s stuff that isn’t for you, won’t likely benefit you, and is something you can’t really use right now.
Once again, it doesn’t matter if this information is right for someone else, or if someone in your life would or would not approve of it.
If it’s not for you, it’s not for you. That’s it.
You might categorize some information you come across as a “hard no.”
(Maybe even a “hell no.” Or a “hell naw.”)
With stuff that isn’t for me, I just gently wave it away like a fly.
In my experience, there is some truth to the statement that “what you resist persists.” So if we are passionately against something, passionately saying no to something, we’re more likely to actually contribute to the persistent existence of that thing.
I just gently say no and shoo it away.
Then I change my focus to the opposite of that thing.
And say yes to it.
“Maybe” Information
I put stuff into the maybe column if it’s something that could benefit me in the future but isn’t really applicable right now.
An example of this is if I take in some information that’s too advanced for my current level of knowledge or skill. Instead of feeling overwhelmed or insecure for not being at that level yet, I just put it in the maybe column for if/when I reach that level. That’s it.
I also label something as a “maybe” if I’m not in alignment with it right now but might come into alignment with it when I’m in a different mental or emotional state.
Practical Application of The Mental Filter Technique
How can we use our mental filter in our daily lives?
First, you can categorize a piece of information in its entirety or a part of it.
For example:
If you’re watching a video and you resonate with it, you can put that whole video in the “Yes” column. However, if you only resonate with a part of it, you can just put that part in the “Yes” column and discard the rest.
Here’s why this is important:
Most of us have information sources we trust. I definitely have many.
An internal conflict can arise when we trust these sources so much that we accept and internalize everything they say, even if it isn’t right for us.
What they’re saying might be good or beneficial for others, but it’s not for us right now. Yet…we trust them, other stuff they’ve said has helped us, but this specific piece of information doesn’t feel right.
We want to put it in the “Yes” column, but it’s really a “No” for us.
It’s okay to put information in the “No” or “Maybe” columns, even if it’s from someone you trust, admire, or respect.
If it’s not for you, it’s not for you – even if it is right for someone else or it comes from one of your trusted sources.
An Invitation to Try This Technique
I invite you to try this technique on this article.
The idea is to be conscious of how you categorize information while you are absorbing it or after you absorb it.
Categorize this article, or parts of it, as a “Yes,” a “No,” or a “Maybe” for you.
And if you think this article could be a “Yes” for someone else, consider sending it to them.
Some of my friends and I share information with each other almost every day. We’ve been doing it for years, so it’s a lot of information.
In the beginning, I felt like I had to take it all in. I felt a subtle pressure to absorb all of it just because my friends sent it to me, even if it wasn’t for me at the time.
Absorbing and trying to apply all of it, even if it wasn’t right for me, wasn’t beneficial or balanced.
So, with the Mental Filter Technique, I can now absorb information, even if it isn’t for me, and just categorize it. Simple as that.
By using my mental filter, I am a lot more empowered in how I take in information, which means I can actually absorb and make use of more information than before because I’m doing it in a much more balanced and harmonious way.
Empowering Ourselves In the Information Age
I truly believe we live in an incredibly empowering time.
We have so much knowledge and information available at our fingertips. I have learned so much on blogs, YouTube, Google, Kindle, etc. It’s quite awe-inspiring.
However, with all this information available, with all of the access we have to everyone’s thoughts and opinions about everything, and with the avalanche of content published each day, I think it can be easy for people to sometimes get overwhelmed and just cut it all off.
As with everything in life, there is a balance here. And in that balance, I believe there is a vast amount of empowerment for us to take advantage of.
Amid all the noise is some absolute gold I have found to be life-changing.
The empowering knowledge I have taken in and used has helped me achieve a lot of inner peace, more joy, more confidence, spiritual understanding, self-awareness, love, a better ability to connect with others, a better ability to express myself, empowered me to overcome my challenges, inspired me to reach for my potential, taught me skills I cherish, and even taught me how to heal my own body.
People sometimes talk down upon the digital age, screens, technology, social media, etc. But at the end of the day, they’re all just tools. Like a hammer, these tools are neither good nor bad.
It just depends on how we use them.
Hopefully, this technique can help you embrace and utilize more of the information that can benefit you.
Let me know what you think in the comments below, and I’ll see you in the next one.
Footnotes
- You can check out the video here.
- This is called entanglement theory. Many use it to theorize how we can be connected to each other on a quantum level, even from the other side of the world.
