Sometimes we have those days when things do not go our way. I am sure everyone can relate. I had one of those days yesterday and before Christmas. Before Christmas, someone had emptied almost every back tire from the shelter’s bicycles. A bike is one of the most important things I own. I use it to get from A to place B. It was frustrating to fix the bicycle in a hurry when I was already taking my daughter to preschool late. Later the same day, my washing machine broke. I ordered a new washing machine, and my dad helped me to fix the bicycle. It turns out the tire was torn with a knife. My friend helped us to get to the preschool and work that morning. With the washing machine, there’s the problem of taking the broken one to recycle and being at home when the new one arrives, and for me being home middle of the day is often difficult. There are always the extra things that come with these that we don’t want to put the work in when it was working perfectly fine before. However, everything got fixed relatively fast that week. It was quite a difficult time for me due to being constantly under some flu or cough.

Yesterday was a lovely day, but as the spring sun is on its way, my migraines happened to start, and yesterday I had my first, and today in the morning, another. However, I have it diagnosed and have medication for it, so that alone wasn’twasn’t too bad. When I was younger, migraine could take me out for three days. Yesterday, I also had a meeting in the evening with a couple of my friends, and somehow I was able to lose my phone. I feel l like I left it in the public toilet, and someone picked it up and took it to some of the stores in the shopping centre. How do I know? My Bluetooth earphones could still connect to it after the shopping centre closed. I also rechecked it from ” find my phone”, the service Google offers, and it was still there.

How everything revolves around a smartphone

That whole scenario got me thinking, though, how would my life be without it? I wouldn’twouldn’t have any of my clients” contact info; they would vanish into thin air amongst all the messages and essential applications. For some reason, however, I didn’t feel like my whole world came crashing down after losing it. I didn’tdidn’t panic, even though I understand it does suck, mainly because I am a business owner and the contacts. But could I live without it? For me, this was, to say, “a wake-up call”. Last year my mindset shifted towards the saying, “It is what it is, and all you can do is how you react”. What made me feel the worst was that I couldn’t listen to music on my way home.

My phone has taken so much of my energy and time from my productivity, such as writing for me. So, losing my phone helped me see it and do this easily. It’s the Universe’s way of telling me these things, and now in alignment, I am listening. These things happen to teach you something, or they keep happening, and you might never think of it as I do, but this will help me focus on what’s essential. The rules are simple. I want to try not to touch my phone after 6 pm; it will be a no-phone time. I can post on Social Media after but only put my phone away right after.

Human connection

Smartphones are helpful, but they take away the authentic connection between people, and that’s why I never have my phone next to me when I am talking to someone 121. Today the most valuable thing is giving time to someone and listening, hearing them out. Ask yourself why you would take yourself to a café with a group of friends if all you’re going to do is browse your phones. Not that I pay too much attention, but I often see this. You might sometimes think the world revolves around social media and a smartphone. But it doesn’tdoesn’t. It has become this fancy platform to showcase the sugar-covered version of ourselves.

I have heard stories where some young people prefer old folk’s phones due to the simplicity, of text and call, just like back in the old days. I was thinking about getting a phone like that for my private life and leaving my current phone to work.

Be kind & don’t go changing.
x Heidi