Time & Self

Humans are exposed to an unlimited amount of stimuli now more than ever in our history. Growing up it was much less noisy. We had three channels on tv, a few popular radio stations, three newspapers - a local a regional, and national. And then we had our families that sat down for dinner together and talked about family stuff. If you wanted to get together with friends you had to walk, jump on your bike or skateboard and go over to their house and knock on their door and ask them face to face. If you were bored, you created things, threw, or painted things, kicked a can or newspaper that was still bundled up in rubber bands. You built go-carts, sleds, and tree forts. You learned how to use tools from your dad and in wood, metal, and auto shop in school. If you wanted to make money selling something, you had to jump in an airplane, car, or train and travel to where your audience was and meet with them face to face, shake their hand, thus the phrase, "see'em to sell'em.

Today, it seems most everything is accomplished on our laptops and mobile phones. We have hundreds of television stations, thousands of program choices, on-line newspapers from anywhere in the world, friends that are both real and fake all over the country and parts of the world, one wheels, electric scooters, bikes, share rides, Ubers to get around. If you're bored we just jump on-line and choose between thousands of songs, reading material, and games...who needs to go to each other's house anymore when you can interact with them online? Fact: 65% of Gen Z prefer FaceTime as the way to keep in touch with friends Mobile video is how Gen Z prefers to learn and stay up to date on news. And forget learning how to use actual tools like a hammer and a nail or fix something when you can just buy another one on Amazon and get it delivered to your door in 24-48 hours, after all just about everything is replaceable these days.

We have come a long way, haven't we? And although these advances have been extraordinary and useful we have paid a dear price for it. What we gained in technology and access to information we have lost in our personal connections both family and with friends. We eat on the run in our cars, text incessantly, read and watch inane posts from total strangers so much that we forget to live our own life. Who needs to do that when we can watch somebody else do it? We sit next to a friend or family member and instead of talking and experiencing their presence we ignore them and give our phones all our attention.

Have you lost yourself among all this white noise? All these choices, all these stimuli? Are we listening to others all to often and forget we have a mind of our own and might in fact have an original idea, thought, or opinion? When was the last time you read an actual book that wasn't online or on Audible but an actual paperback book that made you use your imagination or think for yourself? Sat down at a table with your family or friends and had a meaningful connected discussion without your phone next to your side? And "Influencers"! really? you're actually paying attention to another person's life more than your own and listening to what they like more than yourself? Why do you do that to yourself? Many of you say you don't care what others think but in reality, you dress and post with the hope of being noticed and admired...creating an online personality even you don't recognize.

So get out and take a hike, ride a bike, climb a mountain, swim in the ocean, sit on a rock, and be present with yourself or the person you're with. Take time to think for yourself without a phone in your hand. Write a personal note on a piece of paper not on your laptop or on text and give it to someone you care about. When you start tuning the white noise out, you start tuning yourself and others in. Start today because time is fleeting and you only have one life - start living it.