I love my iPhone. It’s a near constant companion. I’ve grown to rely on it for so many things. It’s amazing what it can do. I can stay connected to loved ones around the world. I can use it to take photos and keep and cherish those important moments. It gives me access to whatever information I may need.
As a result, I treat my phone very well. I charge it every day. I put it in a case to protect it from the bumps and scrapes of real life. I wouldn’t dream of taking it out of the house unless it was fully charged. And if I did, I would do everything I could to protect its battery, I’d limit its use to only the most essential functions.
Sometimes I treat my phone better than I treat myself. Sometimes I’m more impressed by the technology in my hand than I am in the person using it. Sometimes I take for granted my own ability to connect, to think, to be creative and build new memories.
Maybe I’m not alone. What would it be like if we all began to treat ourselves in the same way that we treat our phones? What if we could have a way of assessing our own energy levels as accurately as we know much charge is in our phone’s battery? What if we could learn strategies to protect ourselves and preserve our energy?
What is it that stops us? What has happened to make us expect that we need to upgrade to a new and better model of ourselves every year? How did we come to believe the way we did something last year is now outdated and requires a new and faster operating system? How have we been seduced to assume that constant re-invention and improvement is the only option?
In a digital and technological age perhaps we have lost touch with what it means to be human. We have come to believe that our brains and bodies have an infinite capacity to keep improving. Is it possible that we have come to value our tech more than we value ourselves?
Perhaps it’s time to pause. Maybe it’s time to turn off the technology for a moment and pay attention to our minds and our bodies.
Maybe it’s time to appreciate and be grateful for who we are and celebrate our own natural abilities. What if we could all be a little kinder to ourselves. To tune into our own bodies and check our energy levels, to become more aware of our mental and physical health. Perhaps it’s time to take better care of ourselves, to rest, to recharge and do whatever we need to do to reveal and cherish the qualities of the human being rather than the phone.
Clear view 