Plug in, Baby
I have a WordPress site and I think they're pretty user-friendly. However, my IT-challenged brain just can't handle all these new appy, gizmo-type thingy-ma-jigs.
Let's take plugins — God bless them for what they do, unbeknownst to me.
It took me about 30 minutes to realize that figuring out how to use one of these ‘plugins' just wasn't going to happen. The pitbull in me (the one that doesn't usually give up, starts yelling and shouting and banging fists against the table, then bursts into tears) decided to let it go.
Bear With, There is a Point…
Before I get to this enigmatic point about joy, I have to carry on with my story.
So, feeling like a champ for walking away, I went to take a break on the couch, smartphone in hand. Now I'm scrolling down my Facebook feed.
Why, oh why!!?!
I give myself about 5 minutes to do this but, in light of recent events, I think I might curb it to like 2 minutes or even 0.
My whole feed was taken up by
- a) Mindless pap (‘look what I'm eating', gym sessions, my feet at the beach).
- b) Horrific, graphic content either about abuse, ‘scene of the crime' photo's or cruelty to animals (you know what I'm talking about, right?).
- c) Well-tailored, fear-based world events (usually ‘sponsored').
- d) Selfies…loads and loads — no wait — TONS of selfies. Taking ‘Face' book to new levels.
- e) Quotes that either means nothing but have been glazed over with sprinkles to look like they might be profound or quotes that really tell me you need to see a professional. Or even better, quotes used or made up by people accompanied by d). — a selfie of a prophet in the making. I've got a slight feeling that the quote is a by-product of the need to post a selfie disguised as ‘information'. Some people even use religious quotes accompanied by selfies…Jesus would be pleased.
I'm so relieved to be updated every hour or two with a new profile pic of any said person because, really, I might have forgotten in the last 59 minutes what they looked like! Phew.
Rant over…point coming.
After swiftly realizing that my mind was turning to mush and I was feeling really overwhelmed and agitated, I closed my phone cover. I looked outside — there was my garden. Oh, joy! Bursts of color winked at me, green grass tempted me for a quick roll down the hill, sunlight beckoned me for a warm taste of its rays.
Enough Already, I'm Outta Here
I know for a fact that too much time spent on devices and looking at a computer screen rots my brain. I feel nauseous, disorientated, joyless and tired. I need to use computers because I do most of my work online but I've drastically curbed the time spent doing this. I get on and get off as quickly as I can.
The point of this whole article was to say that if you're feeling the way I do (drained to the core after being bombarded with all this cr@p), go spend time in nature. I know I bang on and on about this but it just SO works.
The day I described above saw me playing out the rest of the twilight hours pottering in my garden — watering, planting and just admiring nature's beauty. The birds were singing, my cats were following me around — purring and weaving between my legs — and life felt GOOD, the absolute antithesis of what it feels like to be computer-bound.
The JOY was sweet.
I can't help but feel like the conspiracy theorists are right and our tech age is robbing us of our innate, earthly experience. It's turning us into zombies who are overloaded with stuff we don't need to know about.
Don't get me wrong, having the internet has been a huge blessing — having people at your fingertips, community pages, valuable information, etc — it's all great. But, as with everything, balance is essential (read related article: How to Hold Your Equilibrium). And let's face it, most of us aren't balancing this newfound delight.
Thunder…Nah nah nah nah nah nah nah
Yesterday we had a massive thunder and lightning storm accompanied by huge droplets of rain — it was fabulous! I went and stood out in the garden getting pelted and loving it. I felt refreshed and my bare feet were sucking in the mighty Gaia goodness of the ground.
Yeah, I'm a hippy but at least I'm a joyful hippy.
In all seriousness, it was awesome. I felt refreshed and renewed. Our connection with nature is a beautiful, symbiotic relationship and with any relationship, it needs to be nurtured. Don't go sit under a tree once a month and expect to be rejuvenated. As with any healthy practice, you've got to do it daily for maximum benefit.
Please take a leaf (yip…very punny) out of my book and spend as much time as you can take in the great outdoors. Balance out your life and use the internet/computers sparingly. If you can't help it and work long hours at the computer — take regular breaks (try and get outside if you can, even if you have to pretend to be a smoker in order to escape the building).
Nature is the best medicine, especially for a world-weary heart.
You may enjoy these related articles: Homeless Activists Go Organic and Feed an Entire Shelter With Rooftop Garden
Tobacco Doesn’t Just Kill Smokers; It Kills the Environment
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Cherie Roe Dirksen is a self-empowerment author/columnist/radio presenter, multi-media artist, and musician from South Africa.
To date, she has published 3 self-help and motivational books and brings out weekly inspirational blogs at her site www.cherieroedirksen.com. Get stuck into finding your passion, purpose, and joy by downloading some of those books gratis when you click HERE.
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This article (Get Your Joy on This Festive Season! ) was originally written for and published by Conscious Life News and is published here under a Creative Commons license with attribution to the author Cherie Roe Dirksen and ConsciousLifeNews.com. It may be re-posted freely with proper attribution, author bio, and this Copyright/Creative Commons statement.
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Thanks Cheri, for your honesty and good advise. I understand how this tech obsession is pulling us away from nature, and how imperative it is that we at least touch it, at least once a day.
I don’t have that problem anymore since I retired, but I would like to address a little point you made:
Pretend to be a smoker, just to get out of the building. Yikes!
That statement alone is packed with the entire crux of the tech/nature issue.
For years I’ve found it incomprehensible that workers would receive multiple 10-minute breaks to go outside and pollute their lungs. Sure they’re out there and not inside polluting the non-smokers’ lungs. But…BIG but, how unfair is that!?
Why do they not give everybody several 10-minute breaks. Say, a fresh air break? Wow! what a concept! Imagine, workers getting up from their computers to go outside for a fresh air break. So how come this is such a radical concept?
You’re so right…it is a ridiculous system. I think a ‘fresh air break’ sounds good
It would make people more productive too in my opinion. Thanks for your comment, Zef.