I take a lot of walks.
On these walks I always find a renewed sense of focus, and peace of mind. I think the fresh air is a factor, but a simple breaking away from things like Netflix, Facebook, and Instagram is what makes my walks what they are. For years I heard professors talk about how technology is so bittersweet, but it hasn't been until recently that I have really understood the negative effects it has had on me.
Growing up I would say that I was always very active. My sister inspired me to be heavily involved in dance and my brother encouraged me on the soccer field. Plus, there was always the occasional long bike ride on some mountain trail, or a hike around the lake. We went camping just about every summer, and every once in a while I would join my mom in her at home fitness routine. I can't say we never watched TV or movies, but the internet wasn't big back then and I didn't play video games so I wasn't staring at a screen for most of my day.
In junior high my family started upgrading our desktop computer and bought a separate laptop. Later, in high school we bought a second laptop, and by the time I went out of state for college I had my very own. For my wedding some friends bought us a flat screen and a Roku, and recently I bought my first smart phone. I am surrounded by more technology now then I ever have been, and have Google and Youtube at my fingertips any time of the day, but I can't say that I feel so happy about how much time I have spent pushing buttons.
The only person to blame for the way I have handled technology is me. Instead of listening when my older generation teachers told me about how they were seeing technology negatively affect their young students I decided to just keep pushing plastic. After all, I'm modern and progressive right? That sounds nice to say, but what I am finding to be true in my life is that sometimes those old, tried and true ways are really the best. So instead of pushing "Search" for most of my day I have decided to be more moderate in my technology use and lace up my shoes get outside. Right now I mostly just walk or hike, but this simple act of getting outdoors has really helped me clear my head, and reduce stress.
My hope is to become more and more active after so many years of being more or less sedentary. There is a beautiful world out there that God created and is ready to be explored. Something I have begun to do when I am using some type of technology is to inspire myself, or learn something new. For example my Instagram feed, beyond posts by my friends, is full of posts by those who share my love for the outdoors, and my Youtube searches are almost all fitness oriented.
I know I can't be the only one who has this love hate relationship with the devices they own. They can be amazing tools, but I know there are people out there who are seeing the need to be more active. So my encouragement is to just step outside once in a while, and be okay with starting slow if you are like me and have a little more breaking away to do. Being an outdoor enthusiast isn't for everyone, and that is okay. Just walk. And then maybe walk a little more. After all, walking is what has taken so many people across countries and on top of majestic mountains. We can do so many things with just moving our two feet. Love you guys!
Stay Wild
xoxo
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