I'm struck by the catch phrases lately. The top 10 lists. The sound bites, abbreviations, loopholes and Cliff's notes that dominate our culture. If life is supposed to be about the journey and not the destination, why are we dedication so much of our time looking for short cuts?
The Oxford English Dictionary recently added 65 words. Not surprisingly, many of the words were actually abbreviations and acronyms for words we're now too lazy to say. I'm concerned about raising my children in a place where "TL;DR" (too long; didn't read) is one of the most widely used new "words". No wonder this generation is experiencing such acute FOMO ("fear of missing out") - another word that was made official in the dictionary this year - people are literally skipping over anything that takes too long. And since we've grown accustomed to getting things quickly, that "too long" window continues to shrink.
I'm trying to think of where we went wrong, because I'm fairly certain we started off with good intentions. We generally do. I suspect that "progress" was the seed that blossomed into this world of instant gratification, which has quietly drained us of patience, creativity and inspiration. We've spent the last several decades working to make life easier. At first it was inspiration and innovation - we had this wonderful idea that we could improve our quality of life and we worked to create these brilliant modern conveniences. Televisions, microwaves and fast food transformed our lives. And then we went from TV to TV remotes to TiVo. Home-cooked meals became TV dinners became Ensure. Conversations became e-mails became texts.
Giving the people what they want has changed the people. We may actually be less of ourselves, thanks to modern technology and a world of conveniences. Because, really, what is the end game when we accelerate everything and burn calories faster? That sounds to me like using up our bodies faster; and we kind of need those to live. What happens when we make a habit of seeking out the "no brainers"? Doesn't it stand to reason that, after making decision after decision without actually engaging our minds, hearts, and consciences; we may eventually have trouble accessing them? Thinking, exploring, feeling, discovering - they are activities I want to embrace. And, while ease and speed can be great, they can also deprive us of opportunities to practice patience and develop problem-solving skills among other things. Without those, we’re increasingly dependent on a quick fix and outside resources and we lose out on the satisfaction of overcoming life’s challenges.
So I see this vicious cycle developing. We can't wait for results and it takes too long to learn. We need to work longer hours to earn more money so we can pay other people to do things we don't have time to do. Other people do our research for us, weigh our options and spoonfeed us “in a nutshell” information that influence our decisions. We’re accept the easily digestible images on billboards and the 30 second ads that tell us we can (and should) lose weight without exercising and changing our diets. Why spend the time exploring the origins of what ails you when you can pop a pill?
In those uncomfortable moments, when I don’t like the way I look in my full-length mirror, or when I’ve pushed the caffeine intake/sleep deprivation ratio to migraine-inducing levels, the magic pills are tempting. And I often think that I’m “saving myself a trip”, when I spend an extra hour in front of a computer screen placing online orders instead of going into town to buy the things I need. But I’m rethinking my priorities. I am reminding myself that, just because there are products that will make my body forge ahead when I'm overworked, exhausted or in pain, it doesn’t mean they benefit me. Even if (especially if) they make me skinny. I am realizing that the easy way out, is often the way out of really living my life.
There’s merit in getting through difficult moments – actually feeling the feelings and then working through them - or at least exploring how I got to them. I think it’s worthwhile to get beyond the self-disgust, resignation, sadness or frustration and look at things from a different perspective. There are lessons and challenges within them. There are ways to grow buried just under the surface of these moments.
In 2014, I'm trying to find my way back. I will catch myself operating on autopilot. and I will stop and look around. I will hear what the experts have to say, but I will look at the information for myself and trust my own instincts. I will stop and take walks even if they don’t lead to checking something off my list. I will learn for the love of learning and I will not let a sound bite determine what I should wear, buy, eat or look like. This year, I plan to embrace the challenges. I want to learn the lesson for myself, even if I make mistakes and it takes longer and I have to stop and think and do things differently than everyone around me. And it will be intentional. I’m going to count my blessings and use my gifts. Every one of them.
