Sometimes I am grateful for my phone and computer. Other times …

Untethered Gratitude

Sometimes I am grateful for my phone and computer and all I can do with the internet at my fingertips: taking in art and music, learning, finding what I need, feeling seen and connected through social media. Other times I feel overwhelmed, scattered, frustrated and lonely. In times when it is not working for me it becomes so apparent that being on my phone is such a habit. Going back to it again and again even when it is unfulfilling.

I love the quote from one of our members, Forest Replogle. He said of Facebook, “it’s too much and not enough.”

I’ve never read anything more true about social media. It is too much and not enough. Often. And I am grateful for it too, when it is just enough. The too much for me includes all of the content that I am scrolling through, the photos and articles and quotes and events and seeing into so many lives, too many times. But also it is too much when I am compulsively checking it every chance I get. When I kick off every moment of down time with a scroll. Instead of just being, feeling, experiencing, noticing my environment.

All of this reminds me why I created ourgratitivecollective. I created it because I wanted a place we could go to share gratitude even when we are on a social media break or when we’re not wanting to dig our way through the barrage of content in our feeds to get to the gratitude. A place for those of us that aren’t on social media at all. A place that is only gratitude. A place where we can connect with others that are on a path of gratitude. A breath of grateful air.

This week I have been resisting the temptation to pull my phone out and capture photos of beautiful experiences (a jaw-dropping sunset, the adorable tumbleweed snowman, almost everything at River of Lights light show) and it has been perfect. Instead of snapping everything I am fully taking it all in, all the variants of color, texture and the warmth I feel in my heart.

All of this has me thinking about two interconnected things. How can I be more self-aware of the effects of my phone, computer and social media use at any given time? What boundaries can I set around my phone, computer and social media use?

And how will that help me to disconnect from my phone and computer with a grateful heart and experience even more gratitude? And then pick up my phone and computer with a grateful heart and experience more gratitude for that too?

 

 

 

I regularly take my entrepreneurship students out walking because I want to get them in the habit of noticing and thinking about what they notice. They have to leave their phones behind to learn the basic lesson: Be where you are.
~Margaret Heffernan

What are you grateful to experience when you’re away from your phone and computer?

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[su_note note_color=”#e7e7e7″ text_color=”#686767″ radius=”0″] My gratitude journey started in May 2011 and continues to this day. Thank you for being a part of it! A daily gratitude practice is simple. Write down three things you are grateful for each day. Download your free GratitudeGuide. My clients focus on gratitude and learn from their successes to make the positive changes they want in their lives. You can too. Call me to set up our first meeting 505.333.9336. [/su_note]