Disconnecting to Reconnect

Dear Subscribers,

I am excited to begin this personal blogging journey with you. I hope you are ready for the ride because I plan to be real, raw, and relevant, starting now...

Lately, I have found myself deleting apps from my phone and avoiding some people and some conversations. Initially, it was an unconscious, knee-jerk reaction to a momentary feeling of overwhelm. But upon further reflection, I realized that scrolling through the postings of some caused me to feel envy, jealousy, or dissatisfaction with some part of my own life. I became aware that entertaining the continual complaints of some about the ever-changing weather, COVID-19, having to stay at home, and so much more caused my head to hurt and my soul to sink just a little with every conversation. It had to stop. I had to make it stop. 

So now for days at a time, I don't "check-in" on social media. I use it now primarily for business purposes. I can happily spend my day having not talked to anyone about what happened on the news or whether the curve is being flattened. And I don't mind at all if I miss a few Zoom webinars with women glammed up like they are about to do a photoshoot. My head, my heart, and my spirit are kind of done with all of that for now.

I know, I sound like a hater. After all, I admitted to feelings of inadequacy when viewing some of this stuff. But in my then impulsive decision to disconnect what I have discovered is more than just "Corona-fatigue" and "jealous juice" in my cup. I uncovered a sincere desire to reconnect with me and what truly matters to me. I realized that in the quiet and stillness of no social media, I could hear and process my own ponderings. In the absence of the noisy complaints of others, I have unearthed a renewed appreciation for my personal relationship with and connection to God, to myself and all things God-made. Internally, I am more at peace than I have ever been. And it's because I have shut so much of the external off. I needed this season of solitude. 

My takeaway: When our spirit is disrupted by negative feelings like anxiety, fear, jealousy, or inadequacy, we should see them as signals that something needs to be removed from our internal or external space. Removal of the agitant can make room for clarity, peace, and greater alignment. 

Question: What do you need to eliminate to bring about more clarity, peace, and alignment in your life?