My Facebook Fast: The Home Stretch

Much has happened in the past three weeks. None of which was announced on Facebook.  

And there were some real post-worthy news gems in there, such as...  Well, it would just defeat the purpose if I told you now...

I am definitely looking forward to revisiting my account and catching up on everything that has happened on my wall since I've been gone, but honestly, I don't foresee spending anywhere near as much time on there as I used to. 

I expected to have so much more free time, but as is usually the case with time, "Nature abhors a vacuum," and I've managed to fill it quickly and seamlessly with other things.  However, I really have enjoyed the privacy, as well as eliminating those who are barely a blip on my radar.  It's comforting to know that the only people currently in my life are those that really care to be, and not those who are using my posts as material to criticize me about or poke fun at.  I guess it's good to be reminded that everything we post on the internet, benign as it may seem or be at the time, can come back to haunt us.

I am experiencing some trepidation as I linger on the edge of re-entering the world of Facebook.  Will I be able to indulge with moderation?  Or will I get drawn back into that virtual, time-sucking vortex?  You may even see me confessing my failure here next month.  I hope not, and as a safeguard, I have already put my exit plan in place.

The 28th is my re-entry day, and on that day, I will allow myself as much time as I need to catch up on all my messages and notifications from the past month.  After that, I will only be accessing Facebook at most once per week, unless I am running early for something and looking to kill time.

From this point forward, I refuse to reside in a virtual world.

See you in the real one!

Facebook Fast Update!

Two whole weeks. (check out my original post on this topic here)

It hasn't been as hard as I expected, though I'd be lying if I said I wasn't curious what's going on in that world.  And seeing my notifications creeping over 100 as I supervised Gianna posting on my business page made my hand very itchy to start clicking away with my mouse.  But I restrained myself.  A deal is a deal.  And when I'm committed, I'm committed!

This week I have noted that I am not only more engaged in social situations, and more present in life in general, but I'm really feeling the love!  I went to a few parties this past weekend and everyone was so happy to see me and curious what I had been up to... When I was constantly updating as to my whereabouts, no one felt the need to ask, and I didn't feel the need to share.  Did I previously post everything that was going on in my life on Facebook?  No.  But it seemed like it to my "audience" at times, and what I wrote was what stuck in my head, so naturally, when people asked for an update, that was the first thing I thought of.  I didn't even notice what that little, quiet, insecure part of me (a resident in most people's subconscious, I suspect) had been saying about that until this occurred.  She was saying most people I knew didn't care or want to know!  What a mistaken assumption!  They just didn't feel the need to ask since they already KNEW! (That little voice can be such a pest sometimes, can't it?!)

My favorite realization of the past week, though, has been my energy and enthusiasm regarding the act of socializing itself!  I had been feeling so burnt out and tired at the end of the day that I wasn't very interested in going out with friends.  I felt like I needed so much "alone time."  And at the same time, there was this vague, nagging feeling that seemed to resemble loneliness.  I am pleased to announce that since leaving Facebook, that feeling is gone, and I am genuinely excited to go out with my friends again.  I realize now that I was on social OVERLOAD.  And I wasn't even seeing most of those people in real life!  I still loved my friends, but after attending the Facebook "party" the majority of the day, my social reserves were spent.  I guess it's simply another lesson in MODERATION.

In the meantime, and this couldn't come at a better time, I will be, yet again, participating in Chopra Center's 21-Day Meditation Challenge, and I encourage you to join me.  Let's see what we can learn together.  It starts Monday, but if you're a little late, don't worry!  You can still get in!  And it's completely FREE!

Whether it's taking a break from facebook, or starting a Meditation Challenge, I hope you're continuing to challenge yourself... What have you been up to this summer?  Leave it in the comments below!  Have you ever taken a break from social media or been tempted to?  Or are you one of the ones who have fought to urge to even start with it?  Share your thoughts! 

My Facebook Fast

It's been slightly over a week now since I've started my 30 day Facebook Fast, and I've already noticed a shift.  Bear with me as I try to explain, as I am still trying to sort it all out.

First of all, I haven't felt this connected to the world in quite some time... which is ironic since Facebook supposedly connects us to so many!

When I say I feel "connected" it's something far beyond just people... I guess it's more of a spiritual connection... of which a side effect is feeling more secure in who I am.  I had no idea the effect Facebook was having on my self-esteem...

I can't help but think of one of my favorite books, The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz.  One of the agreements is, "Don't take anything personally."  Facebook sets the stage perfectly to alternately feed and starve the ego (our false sense of self).  Any time we expand or contract the ego, self-esteem is affected. That false sense of self automatically makes us feel separate from the world instead of one small cell of a larger, cohesive organism.  The ego makes us feel disconnected.  It wants us to feel like an individual!  It makes us want to feel unusually unique!  Of course, we all are in our own way, but this can also turn against us, making us feel so unique that we get cocky, over-confident, or feel like an island that no one can understand.  It makes us feel alone and lonely.

On top of that, virtual interaction is a whole new breed... it's communication without connection.  And when I consider the state of the world today, with cyber-bullying and the lack of empathy that we witness in things like this video:

it occurs to me that it is this lack of connection that is brewing such a diseased world. Communication without being witness to others' emotions guards us from the pain that we cause, and keeps us from sensing that pain and feeling it in our own hearts.  We have been well-trained from the time we were small children to disconnect from what we see on screens... that what we see isn't "real."  That's how we can watch horror, and action, and absurdity without ending up in a mental ward!  It's a protective mechanism.  I'm starting to wonder if many of us are experiencing the same numbing effect with Facebook.  Classic Conditioning and Stimulus Generalization at its finest.

In this week since I've been off facebook, I have been more clued in to who my real friends are, I've been less self-absorbed, less distracted, and felt more spiritually engaged...

Can't wait to see what happens next week! (Stay tuned and "Follow" for updates!)

Did I stay off Facebook?  Click here to find out!

I am an addict.

There.

I said it.

Admittance is the first step to recovery, so they say, and I am a Facebook addict.

What a load off my chest!

To put it in perspective for you, friends of mine think I am on Facebook 24/7 because of how quickly I respond to their posts... And they're probably close to accurate in that assessment.  From the moment I wake up in the morning, I am checking my account.  I post so frequently, some people have admitted to blocking my posts from showing up in their feed because it was so overwhelming.  I have developed a type of celebrity... people meet me for the first time and already know who I am... because of my Facebook posts.  It really is rather ridiculous.

For those who don't understand the appeal of Facebook, I compare it to a constant party, where all your favorite people are hanging out.  You can pop in and out of the party at will, visit, get a laugh or two, say something witty, learn something new, voyeuristically get an update on your friends' lives, and then, without even a goodbye, close the door and that's the end of it... until you open the door again.  The door is always waiting there, inviting you in, and the party is always going.

For an extrovert such as myself, this provides endless hours of fun and mental stimulation.

At my seminar this week,  we were talking about distractions, information overload, and those things we should say "No" to.

I decided that it was time to say goodbye.

As my readers as my witnesses, I have decided to give up Facebook for one month.  I started today.

I posted the status, "I'm taking a break from Facebook.  If you need me, you know where to find me."  Then I deleted the application from my smartphone.

I am committed.

I was incredibly amused to learn that, supposedly, they're already taking bets on how long I'll last. Feel free to leave your prediction below. ;.)

I'm really curious to see what happens!  What in the world am I going to do with all this free time!?

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