Does it count if you walk 12,000 steps, but it’s not recorded on your Fitbit? Does it count if you travel to Australia and high-five a kangaroo but don’t post a picture on Facebook? Most importantly, does it count if you make the winning shot and it isn’t captured on video?
It’s like the adage: “If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?” The philosophical belief is that “objects of sense exist only when there is somebody by to perceive them.” Hence the question: Do these moments in our lives count if they’re not posted for the world to appreciate? Bigger question: Did they before?
Our days are filled with moments—happy, heartbreaking, exciting, routine. Once upon a time (not too long ago) we experienced a moment and you know what we did? Nothing. Sure we cherished it or wrote about it in our journal, or perhaps told a friend, but not today. Today we share with everyone. I mean everyone. And what’s more, we feel pressured to do so.
So we post. And we post. And we post.
We post so much that the interwebs are chock full of these moments, and we all know what too much of anything turns into: clutter. In this case, e-clutter. By default this makes your special moment not so special, resulting in fewer “likes” which might make you feel bad, deeming this whole self-esteem building structure counter-productive.
What if instead of focusing our cameras on these moments, we focused ourselves on being in the moment. Might we actually enjoy it more? Being in the moment is being present, and present is just another word for gift.
Hhmm.
Okay, I can hear you saying, “But if we capture the moment then we can relive it.” Yes, that’s true, but life is about collecting experiences so for sure there will be more. Lately it feels like in our haste to try and capture each “special moment,” we’re ultimately losing out on what makes them special in the first place. And who likes that?
Coming up: February 20-24 is the virtual Tiny House Summit and I am one of the keynote speakers. I will be talking about how to prepare yourself to live in a smaller space and also how to motivate you to live with less. The event is free.
Comentários