We are living in a world dominated by social media and electronics. And it drives me crazy! I, like many people, am guilty of checking social media much the same way we used to check our mailboxes or answering machines (millennials and younger, an answering machines was something that was attached to your land line telephone and would record a message from someone when you weren't home to answer the phone, ha!). But for some people, checking social media is much more serious than our old mailboxes. We've lost the ability to have delayed gratification. That immediate gratification when you post something and 5 people "like" it right away is so satisfying. Can you imagine waiting over a week for a letter from a loved one overseas? I remember those days.They weren't that long ago. Sometimes I miss those days. I love a comment from a friend from Ireland on a social media post, but I love a piece of paper with a note written on it that flew across the ocean just for me. Being able to hold a physical piece of paper that someone you love also held adds to the connection between the two of you. Now that I'm writing about this, I realize how much I miss things like that...
But the whole reason I decided to write about social media and electronics is b/c I have been off facbeook for nearly a week. And the weird thing is, I only miss one thing! I miss my fitness community. I was going to check it tonight but started to log on, saw I had 71 notifications, and decided I didn't want to take time to go through all of those right now! I'll do it tomorrow and that will bring me to one full week without facebook. The only other time I've gone this long was when I was on vacation. And trust me, this week has NOT been a vacation! The reason I have been off is b/c I've been so busy with work and family stuff that I haven't had time. I will have time tomorrow.
There's a part of me that is itching to know what's been going on w/ Lebert Fitness (I need to see the February leg workout that puts all the month's exercises together!). I'll be posting a video to share these exercises and put my own spin on them so watch my YouTube channel for that! I'll be so curious to see how many Atomic Betty posts I've missed. How many more runs from my friends have I missed? Are there any discount codes for races I plan to do that have been posted? How far did Jane Anne swim in the ocean this week? She did say she was going to start back in the ocean in Feb, ha! Finally, did the results of the indoor tri I did w/ my daughter get posted to facebook? I haven't seen them on the website and I'm dying to know how we did!
Yes, out of the 71+ notifications I have, I only miss a handful. This makes me feel better about my social media and electronics usage. I don't feel attached, just curious what's happening in the fitness world. If I could get this info somewhere else I probably would. I could then look at facebook as my mailbox and have more patience waiting for those "letters" from far away. Think about what you use facebook for the most. What would you miss? Would you be able to resist checking multiple times a day? I would like to encourage everyone to take a week off. Or limit your checking to two or three times a week. Build up that delayed gratification again and revel in the simple pleasures of getting "mail" from someone who you don't see every day. Let me know how it goes!
Good luck!
