I grew up in the 1970’s when there were no computers, tablets or cell phones. Since the internet didn’t exist yet, there was no cable or streaming. We did have about 7 good stations on television though! We didn’t stay home and play video games all day because there were no video games to speak of back then. Instead we played outside, talked to our friends on the phone, and listened to music.
I know I know. I’m old. I get that.
When my sons were in high school, I remember talking about this very topic. I’ll never ever forget the stunned look on their faces! They just couldn’t wrap their brain around it. I have no doubt that I did the same as a child when my own parents told me about their childhood and what the world was like.
Today, our high tech world has all sorts of benefits. The microwave helps us cook food faster. The internet helps us get information faster and allows us to stay connected with friends, family and business associates. We can access any information in the world in an instant. We have more television stations to give us more choices, and we have cell phones so that we can stay in touch with each other 24/7.
Ok … let’s look at that last paragraph again.
From where I’m sitting, it looks like all our sophisticated modern technology has done the opposite … it has made our lives crazier! It has given us less time instead of more.
If you are in your twenties and thirties, think about your parent’s childhood and what life was like back then. If you are in your forties or older, then think about your own childhood. What happened to everybody when office hours came to an end? What happened when people left work and went home?
What did they do?
They rested.
They had time to think and reflect and do something very few of us do in today’s world … they relaxed!!!
When I was growing up, we didn’t have any technology to take home with us after work so we relaxed, went out to dinner, took walks, watched television, listened to music, or read a book.
We turned our minds off for a while and allowed it to reboot itself.
Modern technology has taken this away from us. Instead of resting when we get home from work, we work on our laptops and constantly check our phones. Plus we answer them wherever we are! In restaurants, airplanes, movie theaters, soccer fields, in our car … everywhere!
When exactly do we rest and allow our minds to turn off for a little while?
Modern technology has made things harder. It has unleashed a monster called stress that is making our world sick and tired. It distracts us.
It owns us!
Have you seen the Terminator movies? The one where machines rule the earth? Guess what? Machines rule our earth. Not in as nasty a way as the movie, but they rule the earth nevertheless. Technology rules.
Stress is a nasty thing that causes some even nastier diseases, and there are no antibiotics you can take for it. Stress kills and there is only one cure for it.
You need to rest.
Technology speeds up our ability to do things. We can research faster, cook faster, and be in contact with other people faster. However, it also causes us to feel the need that we have to be in contact all the time! We feel we have to check our email at 10:00 p.m. at night, we have to answer that telephone during dinner, and we have to check our phones and answer that text every hour no matter where we are.
When do you rest and turn your mind off?
I understand that everyone wants to move forward. I totally get that. However, in order to move forward, you have to occasionally take a few steps back so that you can get a better look at where you want to go.
So what can we do?
We can turn off the computer after dinner and not turn it back on until the morning. We can turn our phones off once in a while. We can take a walk. We can go on vacation without the laptop.
The world won’t stop!
People might think you’ve been abducted but so what? You’ll get back in touch with them.
You can’t do it? Well then try and answer those calls/texts twice a day while you’re on vacation.
If you don’t rest and let your body and brain reboot itself, then your body will break down. In the end, technology will deprive you of the true quality of life because it will be sick and you won’t be able to do what you want to do.
So here’s my challenge …
I challenge each and every one of you reading this article to lose your cell phone for a day and see what happens. I challenge you to turn off your computer at around 6 p.m. at night and not turn it back on under any circumstances until the next morning. Then watch what happens! Everyone tells you that you need to eat right and get plenty of exercise. Absolutely true. However, there is a third even more important key to life … you need to rest.
So turn your mind off for a while. Listen to some music. Read a book. Talk to your kids. Go shopping. Go to a comedy show and laugh. Watch a movie.
One more thing … please STOP ignoring your intuition! I know that it has been urging you to slow down and take a breath. Listen to it. It knows what it’s doing.
Enough said.
