In the most recent meeting, held the weekend of October 6-7, our prophet, Russell M. Nelson, counseled us to hold a 10 Day Social Media Fast. He also asked us to omit any other sources of media from our lives that bring impure thoughts to our minds. As we unplugged for 10 days, he asked us to record the impressions we received and follow through with them.
When I first heard his request, I was excited to follow the prophet's counsel. I have lived long enough to know that when I follow his counsel (as he is the mouthpiece for God on the earth today), I am blessed in ways I had never considered. My second thought was how am I to run a business where my primary platform is social media, without being on social media. However, he gave no caveats and in my heart of hearts, I knew I needed to follow this counsel and fear not. I was a little nervous, but I replaced fear with faith and began my fast the very next day.
Today, marks day 10 of my fast. I have learned more than I ever thought possible. I would like to share those things with you in an effort to inspire you to heed this counsel and unplug. It will only benefit you. Now, don't get me wrong, I am passionate about my business and plan to continue using social media as my platform, but I also plan to have stronger parameters around my time spent engaging online to protect myself and my family from the dangers I realized I had become susceptible to.
My Most Significant Impressions
1. Prior to the fast, I had been frustrated for WEEKS about how addled my brain felt. I was suffering from intense mental fatigue and despite my best efforts, I could not figure out how to come out of the fog this was causing. I was scattered, irritable, and rushed in every way. Unplugging from a constant barrage of information and unnecessary urgency finally gave my brain the solace is had been needing. So, unplugging on a weekly basis for one day a week will become my new normal. Sundays which I already use as a day of Rest will be taken up a notch!
2. I realized what my REAL priorities are! My marriage, my children, my family and friends, my spiritual relationship with God, and my business. However, the time I was spending in what I said were my most important priorities did not quite match up. I found a super helpful YouTube Video that I have taken into practice and it is helping me align my activities with my priorities. If you have 30 minutes, it is worth your time! After a week of using this time management system, my productivity, peace of mind, and priorities have sky-rocketed.
3. I was reminded how important it is to listen to that still small voice. Some call it a gut feeling, intuition... I call it the Holy Spirit. When you hear truth and act on it, your are blessed immeasurably and often in ways you would not have foreseen. My family relationships, especially my marriage, feel more connected. My mood and energy are where they have longed to be for months. My relationship with God has become more in tune. Being a woman and a mother on the earth at this time is not a coincidence. I am grateful to be alive at this time. The responsibilities are great, but I am up to the challenge.
I am so grateful for our prophet's message and that I took what seemed like a risk and heeded his counsel. If you'd like to see his message in its entirety, here you go. Enjoy and if you choose to take the social media fast challenge, let me know! I would love to hear about your experiences.
No comments:
Post a Comment