“Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without.”
—Buddha
You and the rest of us humans currently live in a time where we are seemingly more connected than ever. Yet, through that connection a major disconnect has formed, and I know you feel it as deeply within your heart as I do because you are here with me now.
The internet is a man-made web of informational data that connects us all. It is both a blessing and a curse at the same time. But more so, it is a great teacher when used with intention.
We use the internet to connect with each other. To find new recipes, to learn how to play guitar, to keep up with our friends on social media, to share cat memes, to entertain our minds when we are bored, to read The Hue-Man Experience each week, and the list goes on and on.
As of May 2022, it was measured that 6.64 Billion people, which is 83.72% of the people on Planet Earth, own smart phones. Every one of those people has an informational portal to just about anything they might want to know living right inside their pocket.
But how do we gain the insights about the experience of life that our phones can not teach us?
External sources of experiential information can be very helpful, and the internet is full of them. Yet there are life lessons and understandings that can only be learned by turning inward. And spending too much time staring at the screen of a phone robs us of those lessons.
Now, think about how you treat your phone. It is always with you, right? Always along for the ride, wherever you go. Tucked safely into the same pocket that you always keep it in.
When you have a question about something, you look it up on your phone. When you need directions, you look them up on your phone. If you need to translate a sign you do not understand, you look it up on your phone. If you want to capture a moment or a beautiful view, you snap it with your phone’s camera.
When you are waiting in line, you look at your phone. While you eat dinner, you look at your phone. While you are waiting for your friend, you look at your phone. When you are sitting on the toilet, you look at your phone.
Riiiiiight?
My question is this: Can you spend thirty minutes per day away from your phone entirely? And, what do you think would happen in your individualized you-niverse if you started practicing this regularly?
Try this for yourself, and see what happens. Do it for an hour if you are enjoying it, and see what happens then.
Where does your mind go when you do not have a tool to distract yourself from the present moment every single time the addictive “gotta check the phone now” impulse fires off in your brain?
Do you think you might discover an answer to a big question you have simply by being more present with your self for a limited window of time each day?
My guess is that you are at least somewhat curious to find out.
Back in February we made a post titled, “Mental Energy Flows Where Our Attention Goes”. That post opens with an exercise that showcases what happens to your perception of the world around you once you start scrolling on social media. Review that post by clicking below when you are done here if you want to feel what we are discussing now.
Personally, I kept thinking about that post after publishing it. Every time I use my phone to distract myself from the present moment, I think of that lesson.
It made me wonder if my phone was smarter than me, and if I was subconsciously using it to rob myself of the joy of being truly present in my life.
So I decided to do something about my own phone addiction.
While it may not sound like much, after practicing for a couple of months I can tell you that the effects of my new practice have been incredibly positive, and that is why I practice every day now.
Here is what I have been doing. Every morning when I take my dog out for a three-to-four mile walk, I leave my phone at home. I keep nothing in my pockets to distract me from the eternal now moment that Juice and I experience as we walk.
A big part of me wants to tell you exactly what this practice has done for me, but I am not going to do that. I trust that if you want to know what happens, you will try this practice for yourself, or create one of your own so that you can feel the benefits for yourself.
This is the only way we truly learn. By creating our own Direct Experience, and I invite you to join me in co-creating the world we would like to live in together.
This week’s practice will be enlightening for those who try it. I truly hope you will join me each morning to spend some time away from our phones, fully immersed in the “reality” that our collective thoughts and actions co-create.
Until next week, champions, I humbly ask the Highest Love to embrace us all. May you be well, and may you wear your smile proudly.
🌟🌟🌟
If you are asking yourself, “Who the f&#@ is this guy and why am I sitting here reading what he has to say”, then start here at #1.
Leave your silly phone at home and see what happens