I just finished reading CrazyBusy by Edward Hallowell, MD (2006). It hit many “AH-HA” buttons for me. I won’t presume to summarize, but I can tell you what I took away from it. We have never been more connected (to everyone and everything) in the history of the world. YET, even so – those very connections have created a disconnect – an isolationist, autonomous yet BUSY type of existence. We have succeeded in removing/shielding ourselves from the things that make us human and people-connected. Hallowell calls it social disconnectedness.

The CrazyBusy part, as I understand it, is due to the constant bombardment of garbage-in from these myriad connections (live and tech) which in turn become time/attention depleters. He gives many reasons we allow this to happen, but the end result is we lose our ability to function at maximum – or find “rhythm”. He purports there is a similarity to ADD (of which he is qualified to diagnose and has treated) and dispenses advice and exercises to increase attention span. Our goal should be to achieve what he terms “C-State” or what is elsewhere known as “Flow” – the state at which we operate/think at maximum.

This is important. Immediacy and reaction and short term thinking vs the big picture, outside the box – maximum thought. Just because we can act doesn’t mean we should. (Isn’t that from Jurassic Park?) I enjoyed the book. If you don’t hear from me soon, it’s because I am not answering my emails the second they come in and have achieved “Flow”………