It was under my nose the whole time. There it was at 11:39pm on Sunday evening, a hot pink puddle of conversation and social happenings trapped in the mesh compartment of my backpack. My primary communication to the outside world, the cell phone, was lost for more than 72 hours and now was found.
Now, I would be remiss to say I let the misplacement of my phone intrude upon last weekend. Yes, I searched for it for a half an hour here, a half an hour there, but perhaps, my subconscious mind did not want me to find it until the weekend’s end. Perhaps, it was time to dial in differently for a few days.
The result was a sensational, invigorating, and in the moment weekend, composed of deeper and more frequent communication with loved ones on our trips to and from Jones Beach on Saturday and Sunday. I took time to focus intently on the colors of the sea: royal and cyan blues mixed with emerald green grasses sprouting from sandy white dunes. I listened to the crashing waves and birds’ conversations while fresh salty air ballooned my lungs. I felt a sense of inner and total peace.This wasn’t the first time this year, I unplugged from technology for a couple of days. On my trip to Virginia in the spring—I decided to put up autoresponders on my email and restructure my voicemail. It was an amazing trip in which I was able to reconnect with those close to me. Perhaps I craved this experience again and my mind saw to it that this need for regeneration and decompression would ensue.
What are you giving up in your effort to stay connected? I am all for the benefits of technology and connecting with people, but if we are constantly reacting to facebook, twitter, email, and other social media alerts, what time is there left to dream, to plan, to have deep and meaningful face to face conversations with loved ones, what time is there to let your hair down even?
How do you handle the gifts and curses of technology? I am going camping with my family this weekend and because last weekend was such a wonderful experience, I intend to again unplug for a couple of days. I have no doubt that this practice will assist me in not getting burnt out.
Lesson: The principle of balance is applicable to technology too. Schedule time to shut off the phone and get away from the computer/tv, you and your loved ones will be glad you did!
Now, I would be remiss to say I let the misplacement of my phone intrude upon last weekend. Yes, I searched for it for a half an hour here, a half an hour there, but perhaps, my subconscious mind did not want me to find it until the weekend’s end. Perhaps, it was time to dial in differently for a few days.
The result was a sensational, invigorating, and in the moment weekend, composed of deeper and more frequent communication with loved ones on our trips to and from Jones Beach on Saturday and Sunday. I took time to focus intently on the colors of the sea: royal and cyan blues mixed with emerald green grasses sprouting from sandy white dunes. I listened to the crashing waves and birds’ conversations while fresh salty air ballooned my lungs. I felt a sense of inner and total peace.This wasn’t the first time this year, I unplugged from technology for a couple of days. On my trip to Virginia in the spring—I decided to put up autoresponders on my email and restructure my voicemail. It was an amazing trip in which I was able to reconnect with those close to me. Perhaps I craved this experience again and my mind saw to it that this need for regeneration and decompression would ensue.
What are you giving up in your effort to stay connected? I am all for the benefits of technology and connecting with people, but if we are constantly reacting to facebook, twitter, email, and other social media alerts, what time is there left to dream, to plan, to have deep and meaningful face to face conversations with loved ones, what time is there to let your hair down even?
How do you handle the gifts and curses of technology? I am going camping with my family this weekend and because last weekend was such a wonderful experience, I intend to again unplug for a couple of days. I have no doubt that this practice will assist me in not getting burnt out.
Lesson: The principle of balance is applicable to technology too. Schedule time to shut off the phone and get away from the computer/tv, you and your loved ones will be glad you did!
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