Just Being Here With You

http://www.romanceandadventure.com/just-be-here-with-me-project/

It is officially creeping into the end-sh of January, and I am getting into the final leg of my social media fast. While I have many friends who are embarking on new fitness goals or body cleanses, I decided to take a different path by cutting my invisible ties with the interwebs re: social media (Facebook and IG to be specific). So, I wanted to write a little synopsis on how its been so far.

Admittedly, my social media checking had really gotten out of control. Any spare second I had would be spent scrolling...often feeling disappointed that not much had transpired on my news feed between now and the six minutes it had been since the last scroll sesh. At red lights, during snack time with my kids, and,yes, even in the restroom. Throughout the day you’d find me, my chin shifted down and eyes locked on the the screen.

I began to really dive into what compelled me to be so available to these pseudo outlets, yet so absent in the everyday real joys and frustrations that were right in front of me. After spending an hour panning down the never-ending newsfeed I never felt particularly uplifted, creative, or empowered. I will admit to tearing up with compassion regarding a friends post regarding  a deep loss, or feeling excited over an engagement or birth, but far and away, the information I was processing was more on a spectrum flanked by  meaningless-waste-of-time-ness and misguided fear and anger.

I was listening to a podcast the other day that spoke to the fact that, as a christian, I subscribe to a faith that believes the world was SPOKEN into existence. Words are powerful. What a great reminder that the words that I speak and hear are truly shaping the way I view myself, others, and the world around me.

These past few weeks I have actively participated in the gritty, mundane, romantic, lovely, and often truly entertaining landscape of the events that paint a picture of my world. Certainly not always rosey. Life is complicated and messy. The hardest parts of the fast were moments when my environment was marred with boredom, confrontation, or anxiety.  I felt the need to escape, coast, and zone out.  There, of course, were beautiful moments like watching my kids’ creativity while they played with play-doh, when I noticed our new kitten chase her own shadow, or being awestruck by the icicles hanging off the roof. The pattern  I’ve found is that the more I genuinely engage in the highs and lows of the REAL moments around me the more gratitude I foster, creativity I feel, joy I exude, and LIFE I live.

Here are some of my favorite things I did during my time away from social media:

Resurrected this blog (yipee!)

Read my new cookbook like a novel and played around with fun recipes that required me to boil beets and toast coconut

Meditated and read scripture

Spent time in prayer for my family, friends, community, nation, and world

Sat outside in the sun and watched my sons in amazement as their life-long (god willing) friendship begins to bloom while they played in the sandbox

Listened to old records

Wrote hand-written letters

Did yoga (a lot)

Went to bed earlier

Remembered to fill my water bottle up more

Learned (the basics) to crochet
Started taking spin classes

Tuned my ukulele and fiddled with some Christmas songs I’d like to know by the end of the year
Interviewed my 4 year old and really learned a lot about who he's becoming

Looked up

I’ll be honest, the first few days were weird. I was almost embarrassed at the amount of visceral impulses I had to check my phone. It truly felt like a detox. Originally I found myself googling random facts more frequently or checking my email way more than normal until I realized I was missing the point.

I can honestly say that I am feeling more energetic, peaceful, grounded, and joyful.

So what does the future of my life on social media look like?

I don’t mean to come across as a She-Man Facebook hater, because I am truly thankful for a modality that allows me to connect instantly with people from my past as well as family and friends who aren’t nearby. However, I am taking my newfound knowledge and not looking back. I refuse to get to a point where I’m such a passive participant in my own life. So, I don't think I'll be putting the apps back on my phone and I plan to set aside 20 designated minutes a day to log on.

As someone who has battled disorganized thinking as it pertains to food and body image, it is so important for me to be viliglant about what I’m comparing myself to. Not to mention comparison over other aspects of my life like, marriage, parenting, and faith. God help us if our facebook highlight reel accidently got swapped for all the bloopers or mistakes?!

In closing, let us remember that grace abounds and life really is all about a journey of growth and discovery. This little experiment is just a part of mine.