Printed from www.10easythings.com

TRY THIS:
Daily newspapers, even Internet news sites feature Important News but also have minor "fluff" articles to fill out the rest of the pages.

The next time you're reading the news, pick one fluff article that looks interesting...and don't read it. Practice being the master over your curious mind, instead of being led by that "just-gotta-know" feeling.

WHY IT HELPS:
What's the point in controlling the curious mind? Why not read whatever you like, and look around wherever your eyes fall?

After all, isn't a curious, questing mind desirable? The popularity of "Reality Television" seems to indicate it's okay to see real people doing real things. Even if the reality extends to embarrasing or disgraceful moments. Eavesdropping and voyeuerism is trendy. Right?

Wrong.
The Torah says differently.

G-d wants the Jews to live with self control and avert their eyes from immodesty or when common sense dictates. G-d wants us to pay close and critical attention to our own inner lives instead of scanning and surveying others. By doing G-d's desire we become more and more aligned with Him.

And, how does our newspaper excercise of resisting the desire to read news-fluff bring holiness and a greater relationship with G-d?

Controlling your desire-to-know, and restricting where your eyes roam, produces a viceral sensation of "self"-denial. You can really feel your "self" protest when you put your curiosity on hold. Once you've felt it, you'll never forget it.

This curious (even nosey) "self" comes from a lower part of our essence. We want to keep it under control so our higher, spiritual aspects can grow stronger and strengthen our relationship with G-d.

So, the next time someone is talking just a bit too loud on their cell phone in a public place, and their conversation turns to private matters, will you take a teensy-weensy look just to see who it is? Or will you keep your head down?

You have a choice.
Curiosity and the "need to know" grow a crooked tree. The limbs reach way over their boundries.

DEEPER MEANINGS:
The message is not merely "mind-your-own-business." That is assumed. The holiness in you grows when you allow others to make their mistakes without embarrasing them.

Allow people to maintain their privacy, annonymity and honor. Have confidence they will eventually return to a better path.

Tehillim Lamed-Beit (Psalm 32) touches on this exact topic as David HaMelech describes T'shuva (return to a G-dly focus in all aspects of life).

Now dear friends, let us ask: What can happen when self control is abandoned, when curiosity runs free, and when our eyes explore what is not appropriate?

• A person without firm personal borders might comes to steal what his eyes desire.
• A person without self control might give up keeping kosher.
• A person without the ability to control his eyes and curiosity may find himself gazing on another man's wife.

So, by keeping your head down and controlling your imagined "need to know" you are simultaneously polishing many mitzvah skills that enoble you and ultimately help everyone.