On January 3rd, I did the unthinkable. I turned off (deactivated) my Facebook and I turned off my voice. It was only supposed to be for twenty four hours, I told myself. Deep down, I knew it would last much longer than that.
Most of the time, I think too much. I talk too much. And more times than not, I say too much. I don’t like to slow down. I don’t like to miss out on anything. Then I got to a point where it just kind of hit me. I needed to shut up, and take a step back. Then take a step forward. So what does a idealistic young lass such as myself do when she’s gone and Ariel-ed herself? She looks for another way to find perspective. Time for the other senses to go into hyper drive.
A few years ago, I read Eat, Pray, Love for a class assignment. I really loved it, but for some reason, didn’t completely take to it. I only read it once, tucked it away, and eventually forgot about it. Fast forward to a few years later, present day. I stumbled across an article on Oprah.com that reminded me of the story: Eat Pray Love At Home.
The article is really fantastic- I highly recommend looking it over, and then checking out the actual book that inspired it. While I can’t just pick up and go to Italy and eat my body weight in pizza (I wish), I can slow down and find ways to find more appreciation for the little things. I can make time to really commit to making positive life changes.
So what does this have to do with Facebook, exactly? Don’t get me wrong, as a social media addict, I fully understand the genius behind the social media giant. But in the simplest terms, it was consuming my life. I was allowing it to define my relationships with family and friends. My thoughts and ideas were replaced by the constant checking of status updates. Everything I posted or said came with possible ramifications- what if this makes me look bad? What if it’s not funny or clever enough? These kinds of thing can drive a person crazy, right?
I’ll be back to Facebook, I guarantee it. I just need some time. For now, you’ll find me focusing a little less on projecting my thoughts and opinions, along with what I had for lunch, out into the interweb. Instead, I’ll be making more time for the little things. My list, my writing, and my life. As always, thanks for reading. One down, ninety nine to go.