I was addicted to various forms of technology and social media for years, but then… it dawned on me.

I realized how careless it was expending lots of thought on something digital while forgetting/ignoring many moments of actual daily life !

On Sunday (Oct. 16th) we’ll have a Supermoon! (A super moon is when the moon’s orbit brings it to a point that is closest to Earth & this also coincides with either a new or full moon.) And this month it’s a Full Moon!
According to NASA, when the moon is this close to us “its looming proximity makes the moon appear 14 percent larger and 30 percent brighter in the sky than an apogee full moon [when the moon is furthest from Earth in its orbit].”

It’s the perfect time to work on increasing creative energy-use and also for improving your quality of life, from many different angles. One way to do this is to be more engaged in your surroundings, for the better parts of your day.
What do I mean?
Well,
Do you check social media everyday when you wake-up, and everyday before you go to sleep?
Do you find yourself logging in daily, more than once a day, to check things that happen across ‘social media’ ?
Do you perhaps find yourself checking it at work many times a day?
Do you sometimes wonder for a while about what somebody will say next, or keep hoping for some form of response or encouragement (validation) from those in your e-network?

Now, don’t get me wrong. I still go online often, and I appreciate all of the wonderful things you can learn and accomplish on the internet. Plus, many of my family and friends are international, so it’s indispensable to me. However, I’m talking about the ingrained habit of always having the internet in your pocket. The dangers of forgetting to enjoy the real world and all its marvelous intricacies…

“Electronic Desert”
This is one of those instances where things are actually opposite from what they seem. The above two words imply something sinister, but in all actuality they are quite delightful and illuminating.

But actually, let’s wander where there’s NO internet connection.
Let’s let the phone die, or leave it in the car, or just put it away somewhere & allow ourselves to explore and enjoy hands-on life…
Let’s expand our minds and allow them to open up even further … adventure in new worlds (even if they’re only just outside our comfort zone/s) … learn new things … and love life more!

Let’s look into each other’s eyes.
Let’s look into peoples’ eyes whenever we’re having a conversation.
And let’s smile, just because we’ve noticed simple pleasures and small miracles of spontaneous timing.

Let’s eat a meal together, rooms away from our phones.
And just be with one another… Tapping into other-worldly realms of interaction and humor, without assistance from the inter-webz.
Let’s observe life and its contents for what they are, and find them intriguing — instead of being an adrenaline junkie, of sorts…
It directly affects your contributions to daily life, since you’re more engaged and positive. You are immediately more connected and harmonious.

It’s truly amazing, what staying & engaging in each moment (or at least many consecutive moments) of life can reveal!
And it makes things happier in the long- and short- runs, because when things in your corner (in real life) get your attention, they tend to flow wayyy more smoothly.

At the very least, incorporate one time daily that you visit an ‘electronic desert’.
Put your internet and phone away and just be. You’ll find the benefits outweigh the initial (uncomfortable) separation.
🙂
Thank you!
Happy Supermoon!!!

Yours in Calmness,
Reverend Michelle
facebook.com/coastallilacs / revmichelle.com