Cellphones Are Ruining Your Memories

Yesterday was my last day of my arduous university education. As I walked down the aisle adorned in a black and maroon gown, I noticed something strange.

Hundreds of parents proudly staring at their accomplished children, but not with their eyes, but through their tiny pixelated camera and cellphone screens.

Through their four-inch screens, they attempt to record and capture every single moment.

We have forgotten how to record treasured moments with our hearts and eyes. Instead of experiencing new delicacies, events, concerts and treasured memories first-hand, we choose to stare into our little screens to record and photograph every moment.

Moments are once in a lifetime

Why does time seamlessly pass as we age? Because somewhere along the line we forgot to savor the current moment.

We have become so caught up in capturing and immortalizing these experiences to share with our friends and family, that we forgot to immortalize them in our hearts.

Our memories of events are distant blurs because we never really experienced them. We view our most treasured memories through LCD screens.

We forget that moments can never truly last forever unless we experience them first-hand. Through human experience, they are immortalized.

When we proudly share our feelings of the moment they are solidified in our memories.

There will never be another university graduation, first birthday party or concert, the exact same as the previous one. These little moments, the minor alterations, are what makes our memories memorable.

No amount of recapping through our cellphones and cameras will make us relive that memory.

Truly savoring the moment first-hand is the unparalleled power of human experience. Truly being able to see, hear and feel the emotion and intensity in a room is what creates true memories.

Use technology sparingly

There is a fine line between excessive use and under-use. Everything in life is a spectrum. Too much technology limits the creation of true memories, while no technology reduces the ability to share our experiences.

We shouldn’t destroy our cellphones and revert back to the Stone Age. But we also shouldn’t use technology as a placeholder for the human experience.

We understand our devices are important for contacting loved ones, scheduling, recording memories and occasionally playing Clash of Clans. But that line is severely crossed when we spend the majority of a would-be treasured event experiencing it through four-inch screens.

So before we indulge in breath-taking food, enjoy our favorite musicians, or experience once-in-a-lifetime events, let us be wary of our devices, be grateful for the moment and begin to truly appreciate all that surrounds us.

Until next time, my beautiful readers,

Be bold, be free, and love on.

1 Painless Tip You Need To Adjust With Sudden Change

…And my university is on strike. That’s great! That’s exactly what I needed.

-Insert my very sarcastic face here-

I don’t know how long this will hold out for, but the last time it lasted four months.

I was supposed to finish and graduate school in March, move out and start my life. I was supposed to focus on 2HelpfulGuys and write more, make more videos, and really start to focus on helping people.

I was supposed to do a lot of things, but it all hinged on school ending. Now everything is ruined. Everything is going to spiral and go downhill.

But wait, maybe it isn’t as bad as I think it is. I wrote previously that there is a positive in every situation. Maybe there is a glimmer of light somewhere in this.

I’ve discovered it over the course of the last two days. It was a valuable lesson that I needed to learn and, hopefully, you can learn as well.

Sometimes Strikes Happen

That’s just the fact of the matter. It can’t be avoided and it can’t be altered. Sometimes, things just don’t pan out the way you want.

I’ve governed the last 8 months of my life with a regimented strict routine. Sometimes there were little blips. Every time that happened, I whined a little bit.

“Oh man. I can’t believe X, Y, and Z just happened. Now my entire schedule is ruined.” 

I ruined my own day, all by myself. But in reality, it wasn’t that big of a deal. Everything carried on. I was okay. I was alive. I was still breathing.

Sometimes life throws you a curve ball. Sometimes life wants to see how you work under pressure. Life wants you to grow and transform, with each pitch it dishes out.

Change is meant to keep you on your toes, to keep you nimble and ready. Acknowledge the change as ‘good’ and carry on.

When is Change Bad?

My change was a strike, and that’s manageable. But sometimes, life throws you a huge life-changing curveball.

Someone close to you passes away, you may lose your job suddenly, or you fail your family, or worse, yourself.

It’s easy to say, “just make some lemonade, when life hands you lemons.” However, fact of the matter, we all cope differently, but we sometimes we just can’t make lemonade.

Sometimes the pressures of life closes you in this tiny inescapable box and all you want to do is have just one breathe of fresh air.

We’ve all been there. I know I have.

Take a break from it all. Allow yourself to be upset and remorseful. We are not emotionless automatons. Those emotions are natural and you should experience them.

Look inward, deep inside yourself and you will find solace. Then, look outward, to your support system and you will find solace.

We all share these bad life-changing curveballs. Confide in someone. People naturally want to help each other, for the plain reason that we, ourselves, were once alone and stuck in that oxygen-less box.

Accept.

When you expect a straight ball, life decides to pitch you curve. Be aware, be ready, and invite it. Use it as a stepping-stone to the stronger version of yourself.

In wake of the curveball, ultimately we must accept it. The ball curved, it already happened and it can’t be undone. Give yourself some time and allow yourself to move on.

For me, this strike is literally life changing. But it’s time for me to accept and move on.

I hope you do the same with all your curveballs. And for whatever struggle you’re facing, Steven and I are here to help.

Until next time my beautiful readers,

Be Bold, be free, and love on.