Cellphone, be gone! (poof!)
And, just like that, I feel more at peace when I'm not cradling my cell phone at all times of the day. It really doesn't need a baby sitter. I can go days with my phone turned off or locked away. The people most important to me, I can see face to face and our precious encounters aren't via a device of any sort. Those types of connections: psychological, mental and emotional, in physical form, I crave and carry close to my heart. Those kinds of connections can't be replicated by a phone or digital dynasties (I'm not knocking the internet because it has provided a myriad of communication platforms, but I'm old school.) Physical presence is powerful to me and it will always be the one I prefer. I've banished my phone from my palace of rest. I tried the "do not disturb" feature, still didn't take away the blue lighting effect, which keeps me alert. I tried turning it off, nope, didn't work. Something about it being in close proximity made me anxious. Cellphone usage in the bedroom interrupts the production of the natural sleep hormone, Melatonin. So, I put it out and have disciplined myself to only use the bedroom for sleep/rest, relaxation, & reading. It is super wonderful how my slumber has since then improved and won back its potency. My sleep is sound, coupled with the peace and quiet. Plus, a cell phone is no where near as cuddly as a fluffy pillow or warm body (the only warm body in my bed is me though). My cell has also been barred from my office space. Just not having access to it, keeps me focused and productive at work. I don't have the urge to check it when I remove it from my presence. I've killed the app notifications, yep, straight slaughtered those suckers. I have full control over whether or not to be notified, and I obviously don't care to be notified at all. There's nothing important that can't wait until the next time I log in, whenever that will be. And, gone are the days when I write books via text message. I'll just say it in person. Social media has also gotten the proverbial boot from me. I've laid out some ground rules for myself and made a few discoveries. Unplugging is refreshing. There is something calming about not posting the picture instantly. It is okay to do things and not post them, or to have parts of my life remain undocumented (90% of my life is undocumented anyway, the 10% is for sharing modeling adventures & inspiration, but I'm just making a point). I'm a private person and what goes on in my life is personal, it belongs to no one but me and my organic loved ones. I'm stingy. It just feels so good not to allow everyone the possession of knowing. There have been quite a few exciting and pleasant events that have transpired in my life recently that I was not compelled to share through photos or verbiage. Unplugging for a weekend, month, or longer allows me to reflect alone and maintain my sense of self, separate from an online persona. I like to replace my devotion to social media dynasties with curing my wanderlust and being raptured in experiences full of glory and substance. Also, If you're not in my life, why should I care about what's going on in yours virtually? I've made a decision: If you're not in my presence, then I won't go scoping you out on social media. All of my attention will go to the present moment I'm in, whether I be by myself or with loved ones. That's where my energy and focus will be. Social media has positive characteristics, when not abused. I do have to use it for modeling purposes. And cell phones are needed for emergencies and instant checking in, but it’s restorative to go on a tech-digital hiatus: detach from it all, to purify, to cleanse, to pay attention, to seize awareness of the present moment. I honestly feel that in the future, I will be so over social media that I will end my online presence for good. By the way, I am not writing this post from my iPhone. Major points for me. Quick Tip: www.unroll.me is a great find. You can unsubscribe, all at once, from all of those annoying emails. You're welcome. xoxo
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Her eyes dancing back and forth to the rhythm of the words, sprinkled out onto the page, speckling flecks from the ink of her pen into her honey glazed eyes. He's studying her, absorbing her: passionately, intently. She's poetry consuming poetry.
Like the glistening morning dew, that gently coats earth's luscious foliage, rest on me Oh, God. Renew my vigor with the dawning of every morning and drape me with your glorious presence.
"I am more than your ‘maybe’ plan, much more than something that you try to fit into your schedule when you have an empty slot. I am more than a vacant spot to park your car. I refuse to be a one night stay in a hotel or the break you take at work when you’re tired. I am not a vacation nor am I a getaway. I am either the town you call home or nowhere at all."
Ming D. Liu Idolatry: noun
1.the religious worship of idols. 2.excessive or blind adoration, reverence, devotion, etc. I'm currently doing an inventory of my life (it's a perennial act, actually): What I need, want, my concerns, my idiosyncrasies, my mistakes, my stengths, etc. I really have no time or the capacity to point fingers at anyone else. I have a pile over here that I can't see past. I've accumulated a lot of junk and it feels as though I am constantly decluttering. Okay, so what's with the definition at the beginning of this post, you ask? I've been chastised on the subject of Idolatry (this is in the pile of those things I've accumulated). Yes, I'm guilty of some form of idolatry, not intentional because I love Jesus and am an ardent Christian, however, I'm human. I can easily get caught up in what I'm passionate about. My idols are not giant man made golden statues on wooden wheels with torches, my idols are of the modern day sphere: fashion, book reading, television consumption, social media, and my hobby of modeling. I'm not proud of this but I have to be transparent, and I'm terribly sore from the chastisement, so bear with me, this will hopefully all make sense by the end of this post. Idol: any person or thing regarded with blind admiration, adoration, or devotion. I love fashion, after all, I'm a fashion model. That duo fused together is lethal. There have been many times where I would neglect my spiritual duties for a modeling gig. I know, shame on me. It's all good until it comes before God. And, I'm a fervent book reader, but when I fail to set aside time to read the Holy book and draw closer to my heavenly father, those other books I devote time to have become an idol. Those are the areas I personally struggle in, however, there are so many other various forms of modern day idols & idolatry. Other forms of idols/idolatry:
God, help us all. Side note: God knows us from the inside out, every intricate, tiny detail; from the top of our heads, to the soles of our feet. Who/what can compete with him? If we are to escape modern idolatry, we have to admit that it is rampant and reject it in all its forms. It is not of God, but of Satan, and in it we will never find fulfillment. If God is escorted to the back of one's life while an object or person is escorted to the front, on the Red carpet, caught up in all of the spotlights and cameras, enthroned by GLORIFICATION, this is completely out of order. It's an insult. Every thing and person has a place, and it's not in front of THE King. It's okay to enjoy the things we possess (God encourages that - Exodus 5:18-20), as long as they don't begin to possess us. It's okay to enjoy a hobby, as long as that hobby doesn't rip us from complete devotion to God. And, It's also okay to admire/love a person, but once that person becomes the center of one's world, and the receiver of all attention and time, which is snatched away from what is rightfully God's, it is IDOLATRY, point blank period. Oh, the shame. Exodus 20:3-5 3 “You shall have no other gods before me." 4 “You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. 5 "You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God,..." Who is YOUR God? |
AuthorVisual and Linguistic Artisan + Creative Content Author. Archives
September 2016
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