Serenity.
In the past few weeks, I’ve noticed more so than ever that I’ve been getting so many badgering notifications that constantly come back no matter how many times I exit them out. These aren’t even so much from people, but instead spam messages, automated, political phone calls, popups and countless other things that don’t deserve my time to even acknowledge. When I sign into my computer I’m immediately bombarded with skype, twitter, facebook, google, you name it. Turn on a TV and prepare to be instantly swamped with things to pay attention to and catch up with that many times aren’t actually meaningful. Our well-being and ability to relax is being exploited in this technological age where there is a constant overload of ambiguous information ready to make you feel like you aren’t even paying enough attention. If you have similar feelings and these things stress you out as well, I have something for you.
One of my professors, John Kilbourne, taught me one of the most valuable lessons of my life. Go outside for 45 minutes and leave your phone and all technology you have inside. The purpose of this experience can’t be fulfilled if you have anything electronic on you. Walk somewhere near you that you’ve never fully explored and intake your surroundings with no predispositions of how you see it turning out. I won’t elaborate on too much else because I don’t want to influence your perception of this; I want it to be something of your own.
I know that so often we hear “JUST TAKE 15 MINUTES OUT OF YOUR DAY TO DO THIS, SPEND AN HOUR OF YOUR TIME HERE AND YOU WONT REGRET IT! ETC. ETC.” You don’t understand how sick of hearing those phrases I am. They keep me so high-strung and there’s always some sort of pitch or catch that comes with it; I can barely even type this without even getting stressed out simply at the thought of it. This is why I am genuinely passing on what was generously handed off to me; it’s from the heart.
After you go out and do this, I would love to talk with you and hear about your experience; it doesn’t matter if I know you or not. Also, for this week, instead of “having a good day,” have the day you’d like.
