With the wonders of modern technology, we now have previously unthinkable amounts of data at our finger tips.  We get instant access to updates from friends and family that no less than 20 years ago would have taken days of phone calls, hours of letter writing, and lengthy conversations over picture books at holiday gatherings. We also get a continuous update on news from around the world on every topic imaginable.

We scroll, we scan, we swipe, and we move on.  We are now tremendously efficient at getting a surface understanding of the world around us, including those we care about most.

As we continue on our journey to build and strengthen our character, it is important we still maintain the discipline to dig a little deeper with the things that matter most.

If we keep working on it, we will become continually more efficient at the scroll, scan and swipe routine to absorb a surface level of more and more content.  With technology improvements, we will probably just blink our way through content in the not too distant future.

The challenge for all of us in this day of scroll, scan and swipe, is can we still exercise the discipline to care enough to go a little deeper? Have we lost the ability to recognize the signal of something bigger beyond the headline or the comment below a post?  Regardless of how many headlines we can skim, the real satisfaction of human connection remains when we can make the decision to go a little deeper with an individual or an issue that matters.

Here are a few thoughts on the decision to go deeper:

Capacity:  We do not have unlimited capacity.  We need to make some choices. Once we choose to care enough to go deeper, to slow down, and to understand something, then we probably need to decide to not even scan the surface on certain topics.  It would be a more effective choice to just save that capacity for the things we choose to go deeper.

People: People are the gateway to understanding the issue in a more meaningful way. Whether we agree or disagree on a topic, understanding the individual on a deeper level will expand our understanding of the issue at hand.

Small steps: Take a small step each day to pause and choose to dig a little deeper.  Pick up the phone to talk, or sit face to face and have a discussion, or simply read beyond the headline. 

It is important for the relationships and issues we care about most that we do not lose the skill and ability to dig a little deeper to understand more and connect better.

As we make daily decisions to go a little deeper with people and issues we care about most, we build and strengthen our character and Character Creates Opportunity for us to make a positive impact in our world.