Life Shouldn’t Be On Speed Dial
Have you ever been surprised by how many hours your phone reports you spent each day last week texting, emailing, and scrolling through the internet and social media?
This morning, I watched a YouTube video about some teens in New York who decided to put down their devices. They chose instead to enjoy real-life conversations, create art, stroll through parks, and cook together. Someone called it “slow-walking through life.”
Yesterday, I had a call from an enthusiastic reader who shared that she doesn’t own a cellphone or a computer. Yet her range of activities, interests, and knowledge was astounding.
One of our writers in this issue also admits she has no smartphone and not “a speck of social media interest.”
It’s amazing how the universe finds creative ways to send messages. I think I’m beginning to understand. There’s a whole world to see, a community to nurture, and so many projects calling for my attention—beyond the reach of my smartphone.
Of course, breaking a habit isn’t easy. The first step is awareness, but desire for change needs action to follow. For example, if I’d never taken the steps to start this magazine, I wouldn’t be celebrating over 20 years of publishing today.
Across the globe, people are rediscovering pastimes that ask for our full presence, invite community connection, and encourage putting down the TV remote or smartphone to engage with mind, body, and spirit.
During COVID, we learned how essential it is to interact with each other, even as we gained new ways to connect. But these same tools can sometimes lead to isolation. We might spend hours moving from one online distraction to the next, barely stepping outside.
Lately, I see more people on social media expressing their loneliness. Some even consider their pets their only friends.
When your safe space starts to feel like a prison, it’s time for change. Put down the cellphone and take a step away from your cozy walls. Join a group, volunteer with a charity, or chat face-to-face with someone in the grocery store, coffee shop, or around your neighbourhood.
For most of my life, I’ve dreamed of travelling the world, settling somewhere picturesque for a month or two, and truly getting to know the culture and the locals—becoming part of a community that savours the slow-walk approach, like those teens in New York.
As a family caregiver for the last 30 years, I couldn’t wander too far from home. Now, with that responsibility behind me, I have a chance to reimagine my life.
It’s time to take a few risks, follow some dreams, make plans, and take action. I think it’s finally sinking in.
When the universe starts flashing a green light, it keeps going until you get the message.
The world needs your face, your energy, and your presence.
Why settle for speed dial when we can slow-walk together—and discover what it truly means to savour life to the fullest? |
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