Time Is Such a Wasted Luxury

Time is such a wasted luxury..
-Hot Water Music (Phenomenal band!)

Great quote. However, not the case in my life yesterday..

Yesterday my time was a thoroughly enjoyed luxury!

How did I do that?

By turning off my damn phone!

The goal was to go 24 hours without checking my texts, emails, Facebook, Twitter, you name it.. No spending money. No work. Avoidance of all thing corporate.. None of it!

(I will admit, I spent $1 at the local coffee shop.. along with 3 hours engrossed in reading, writing, and chatting. However that dollar was NOT spent at Dunkin Donuts or Starbucks, so I feel okay with my decision.)

Peace and quiet all day. Just me and my thoughts.. Or lack thereof..

I didn’t even listen to music! If I heard any songs yesterday, they were the ones coming out of my mouth.

Success!

I was able to actually go 36 hours and 50 minutes without any of the above. It felt amazing.

No constantly checking my phone to see who was or was not texting me back.

No checking my Facebook to see who was or wasn’t “liking” my latest status update.

No checking my emails to see how my latest appointments were shaping up.

Instead I woke up without my alarm.

Meditated for a bit.

Read a book.

Wrote a book. (Not all in one sitting, but I worked on the book that I’m starting.)

Talked to a beautiful human being.. a stranger to boot!! (That’s what happens when your face is not buried in your phone with your headphones on.)

Finished my latest portrait.

Cooked my meals.

Sewed that pesky patch on a shirt. (I’ve now created the coolest J. Dilla shirt ever.)

Meditated some more.

Most importantly.. I breathed.

Full belly breaths.

In.

Out.

Pause.

Repeat.

I accomplished more in one day than I accomplish in one week normally!

I’m going to make this a new part of my routine.

Once a week I am going to shut my phone off for 24+ hours.. Maybe even twice a week. Maybe next time I’ll go all weekend without it.. Who knows?

What I do know is that it felt incredible to not be concerned with that tiny little robot that always resides in my pants pocket.

I also know that all the anxiety this thing causes came flooding back as soon as I turned it on.

No joke.

My breath shortened. My shoulders tensed. I felt a warm wave of heat run through me.. Yikes!

Mostly due to the 19 Facebook updates, 34 emailed, and 6 texts!

And I try to keep all of that to a minimum regularly. I can’t imagine what it must be like for those who truly live through their phone.

In the vain of Warren G and Nate Dogg..

Revolutionaries.. Mount up!

What will you accomplish without your electronics?

I’d love to know!