Have you ever felt LESS rested after using your break time to follow updates on Twitter? Does your Google Reader intimidate you with it’s sheer volume? Will one more Excel spreadsheet make your eyes gloss over?
For me, my roomates’ dogs act as a good reminder to get outside and away from my computer. They grow impatient with me after a long session because I am the only human at home during the day. More importantly, because I am the only human around, I am the only one who can let them outside when they need to go out.
One example was when there was a sweeping blackout in the Midwest a few years ago. I will never forget how quiet and peaceful it felt while we sat outside and enjoyed the warm summer weather. Me and my friends sat in the backyard telling jokes, remembering the past and talking about the future. It is one of my fondest and most vivid memories.
Couples fantasize about eating meals by candle light and families often cook a summer meal using nothing more than charcoal, lighter fluid and a grill. Avid hunters venture north far away from civilization for hunting season. Others outdoorsy types go fishing at all times of the year to enjoy the peace and quiet. Others still find their relaxation on the golf course. The common theme in all of these vacations is to escape from chaos to find relaxation.
No one comes back from a week long vacation in the Caribbean wishing they would have answered more business calls. There won’t be anyone who declares on their deathbed they wish they would have put more time in at the office.
The most important principle in life is to live each moment to the fullest extend possible. Life is too short to be looking ahead to the future without enjoying the present. Think about unplugging to recharge next time your Twitter stream becomes overwhelming.
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
Nice to know we have similar thoughts about this. I actually wrote something close to yours. We all need to do activities other than blogging , twitter, Facebook and work. Great post.
This is the post similar to yours. Great minds think alike
http://silencebehindcloseddoors.blogspot.com/2009/10/downtime-time-to-hibernate.html
That is funny, you talked about unplugging to recharge too. Ha, I promise I didn’t intentionally copy your main ideas, like you said great minds must think alike.
Great post Cheila, thanks for sharing with your comment. I am glad to see you come by!
Great post, Ben! It’s so ironic sounding, but unplugging to recharge is definitely something we should all do every day. Thanks for the reminder
It’s an interesting thought, isn’t it? Definitely something that becomes more apparent after detaching yourself from the internet than while just reading about it. All it takes is a few minutes outside and you can feel so much better. Thanks for the comment Sam!
People frequently ask WHY I haven’t traveled and lived outside the State of Maine. That I’m missing out.
While I’ll admit that there are many things to be learned from adventuring and living far away from home, as far as I can tell what I have here is the life most people long for. I can spend lazy Sundays in my hammock in my backyard in the summer, I can get to the ocean or hike a mountain in the same day as both are within 45 minutes of my house, I can ski and bike depending on the season…there’s a reason they call Maine Vacationland. If it is where people go to “get away” then heck, I’m going to stay right here!
I’ll take an afternoon staring out at a lake from my kayak and writing over a day of stress and computers and crazy life any day!
That is a really good point, Elisa. Most people don’t realize all of the things that are available to do in their backyard. California and Florida aren’t the only places to relax. I didn’t actually realize that about Maine, that you could see the mountains and the ocean so close together. Its nice here in the Midwest, but it seems like things are much more spread out. Good stuff, thanks for the comment!