Dear Friends,
Happy new year! I hope you’ve enjoyed this holiday season. I know for me, it was a bit challenging in places, as my heart and soul wanted to snuggle in for a winter’s rest and work on projects close to my heart, and yet, I felt the pull to join in, gather with friends and family and be festive!
We made it! The solstice, the end of the Mayan Calendar, holidays and the new year.
I am happy to have some time to devote to that which is most yearning to be birthed and to nestle in for self-connection and rejuvenation.
What are your dreams? What do you most desire to manifest this year?
To really anchor in and create the lives we vision, I think we must take a hard look at the ways in which we distract ourselves, our addictions to email, Facebook, twitter, and perhaps set some boundaries.
I spend a great deal of time on Facebook. It is so fun to be connected to so many so easily, to hear your thoughts, see your photos and keep up with your lives.
I’ve enjoyed my new venture as a retired school teacher, building my new business of psychic readings and healing sessions and writing here on this blog, sharing more of myself with you. Yet, this new endeavor has me in front of a computer quite often, spending hours gazing into a virtual world of relating.
I notice I don’t work on that novel as much as I Facebook. I check email more than I do yoga.
In all its wonder and fun and instant sharing, I wonder about the down sides of Facebook sometimes. Have we replaced real connections for Facebook? Does it keep us addicted and distracted and limit our creative expression?
What about our psychic space? With so many images and faces and information in our space, psyche, awareness, do we have less clarity and connection to ourselves?
I mean, think about this…before Facebook, certain “friends” you now have would rarely be on your mind. With Facebook, distant friends, acquaintances, or ex-boyfriends may pop up in front of your eyes, multiple times a day, implanting themselves in your psyche, subtly taking up residence in your mind.
When it comes to moving on from old loves, or setting boundaries in current relationships, Facebook has dramatically changed the ways in which we relate, connect and seep into others’ awareness.
How are we influenced and altered by what we see?
Do we feel close to people in artificial ways and supplement pokes and likes for real relating?
All of this to say that I intend to take a break from Facebook. I want to see if I even can. How long can I go? What does that make possible, if I have all the time freed up?
What I really want to spend time on is the following:
Yoga. Lots of it.
Writing my novel and finishing it!
Time in the sun.
Connections with intimate friends, in person, deeply relating.
Sleep. Rest.
Travel.
New classes, new learning.
Like real life, Facebook triggers in me my “Fear of missing out.” I am afraid that if I am not on Facebook I will not be invited, miss out on the connections, conversations and relating of my communities and friends.
This happens for me in real life. I say, “Yes” to the party when what I really want is to write my book. I go out, stay up late, and then feel disappointed and unfulfilled.
I am addicted to my social life, gatherings, and easy distractions instead of doing the real work of creating the life I know I can create if I’d only tell the truth to myself that I don’t want the party and don’t need to peruse my wall, but rather, I want to create new adventures.
Facebook is awesome in so many ways. I am sure I’ll be back. For now, though, I sense that there is a vast under current of spirit and creativity and self fulfillment I can tap into if I let go of the addictive tendencies that keep me trapped like a rat on a wheel. So, I will quit Facebook.
I hope you’ll still check back here at my blog and read my writing. You can follow this blog and receive notifications by email, and you can subscribe to my monthly newsletter here.
There are so many deep dreams in my heart. For so long my nervous system has wanted to write a book, birth this dream, crest this creative edge and move into a new place of self-connection and creation beyond what I’ve ever known in this life.
I have to go there. I must. I’ve never wanted anything so badly.
Facebook, though fun and intriguing and informative, distracts. It detracts from what feels deeply nourishing.
It’s time to care for my soul.
What would it look like to care for your soul?
What is that thing you don’t want to die not having done?
What is most earnestly wishing to arise, be said, be created, be shared?
Leave your comments below and let me know what dreams live in your heart.
In this auspicious time of year, let us cultivate rich and meaningful connections and relationships and projects that we can be proud of, knowing we gave it our all, pulled out all the stops, and truly went for greatness.
We are, so great, after all.
So great!
In deep love and rich fun and dreams that soar above rainbows,
Rachel Novelist Claire
I have considered doing the same. I like the community of people I’ve attracted into my life on FB. They generally post really uplifting ideas. Like anything, though, it can become so addictive that its virtual world begins to crowd out the real one, which I always rate as the superior one. I would likely not have found out about you if not for FB.
Yes, Brian, you have a great point, FB allows us to connect to people we otherwise would not have. It can be great for business and meeting new friends and inspiring folk. I will likely not be gone for long. 🙂 Let’s see how long I can make it!