By Joseph J. Mazzella

When I was a boy I was the remote. Not only did I get up to change the television channel, I also walked outside to turn the antenna to pick up the other network.

My ITunes were a stack of vinyl records under our plastic record player. My Google was a pile of books in the corner of the living room. My e-mail was a sheet of paper, a  pen and an envelope. My video games were played in my mind while I romped outside in the sunshine.

Today, however, we live in a sea of information. There are dozens of social media sites. There are hundreds of cable television channels. There are e-mails and text messages that make our computers and smart phones beep constantly. There are video games that eat up our time. There are news shows that only feed our anger and prejudices. There is so much information that we rarely have time to think about it, let alone reflect on our lives here.

What can we do in such a sea? How can we navigate it? How can we sail it to find the truth about our world and ourselves? I think the key comes in asking ourselves a few important questions. When the waves of information come at you then ask yourself these things. Is this information uplifting my heart? Is it inspiring my soul? Is it educating my mind? Is it making me feel happier about my life here? Is it making me kinder and move loving? Is it urging me to help make the world a better place? Is it bringing me closer to God? If the answer is no then turn it off, disregard it, and dismiss it from your life.

Our lives here are too brief to be awash in a sea of negativity. God loves us and put us here to love each other and to make this Earth more live Heaven. If the information around you isn’t helping you do this then it is wasting your time and your life. Your life is what you allow into your heart and soul and also what you share from your heart and soul. May it always be love.