great intender
March 21, 2016 § 5 Comments
I’m a great intender of good intentions. If only my thoughts and actions would consistently align. This past week, in the quieter moments of reflective distraction, I returned to my wish for an online atmosphere of simplicity in anticipation of creating change that might realign my actions and intentions for a more genuine representation of self.
Authenticity and integrity are values I endeavor to model with my choices and my distraction online had begun to contradict my desire for a more streamlined consciousness for those individuals and experiences I was enjoying from the periphery of attentiveness. The ease of press, swipe, tap had overshadowed the work of greater connectivity.
Additionally, I was consuming images that fed a mindset of scarcity; homes arranged into personal advertisements for style and photographs that hinted at manically impossible family experiences. Online presences rarely capture the broken pieces of normal days, unless they have been intentionally filtered to counterbalance perfection as a qualification for the ever rising accomplishment of imperfection.
It all felt just a little manipulated and insincere. Add to this the obligation of elaborate chains of commentary and the entire process became a bit exhausting. Sifting through my social media feeds I felt lonely for conversation over coffee and intimate messages outside the public pool of uncertain interpretations.
As someone who naturally prefers a small company of close friends over an elaborate network of acquaintances, my online accounts felt disingenuous to my individuality. Last night I edited my accounts for a new experience; clicking out of relationships and interests until there were only a small number of family and old friends. Then, I logged off.
If limiting the available distractions was a first step, changing the rhythms of my communication is my next endeavor. This week I am practicing a hands-free approach to my days, walking away from those conveniences that promise connection for more mindful presence offline.
scribblechic 
Face to face will do it every time Marie.
The energy that cannot be replicated by anything, that is the beauty of another sharing their time and space with you, is a part of creating who we are.
Enjoy your journey 🙂
Person or paper are my order of preference. Time lost in conversation or given to drafting a letter are always an investment in joy.
I identify with your thoughts on spending too much time online. It is easy to do.
It is, and it should be said that I am grateful for the far reaching connectivity and community that social media offers. For me it is a matter of mindfully creating boundaries online that honor my time offline.
I, too, believe that the sanitized online world–be it social media or advertising–lacks the beauty of imperfection. I think we could all take a page out of Lauren Hutton’s book–imperfections are what help make us human and call out our uniqueness.