Life has a way of coming full circle. Just five years ago, when I was young, free, and single, I obsessed over technology. My phone had over 100 apps in the early days of the App Store, and I was always looking for life hacks. I had this impetus to be more productive by using only the best tools. Like my
conversion to Jazz (and now Classical) music, I made a major change over the weekend and deleted almost every app from my phone. Why did I feel this need to be free? It all started with a song.
I’ve been a solid Relient K fan since 2007. I love their tongue-in-cheek lyrics. As a bonus, there's always a great message. In fact, I always buy the CD whenever they release a new album. After subscribing to Apple Music a few months back, I added their entire catalog to my library. They released an EP earlier this year called
“Look On Up.”The song is about how much we miss when we live through pictures and filters. We should just be experiencing life. It’s a profound piece of art.
My life has been crazy these past three months as I’ve adjusted to caring for a toddler and an infant. Just Friday
I sent an email to my subscribers about how overwhelmed I felt and how I was giving myself the grace to take a day and get everything reset. (I did, by the way, and it was incredible!) As a part of that reset, I took a look at my commitments and my technology, and I started quitting.
I have many websites that I work on that I’m no longer going to maintain. I also sat down with my devices and deleted most of my apps. My passion for the latest and greatest app has subsided to being content with many of the Apple stock apps. My phone no longer has Twitter or Instagram, so there’s no longer an compulsion to graze. Instead, I’m going to be in the moment with my family.
I made one other change. I wake up at 5:30 am to help better manage my migraines. It’s quiet and still that early in the morning, and I relish those precious minutes. When I start my day with prayer, everything just goes better. I cut more work time and gave myself that first hour of the day, a tithe if you will, to be free to pray. I put on a soundscape (I’ve been using the
Calm app), pull out my
latest edition of the Magnificat and just enjoy the peace and coffee.
Our brains were not designed to be always on, and we should live life, not archive it. Empty out the clutter, focus on today and live a day that’s worth remembering.
“Therefore I tell you,
do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?”
Tags: Communication Manliness Wellness
