I’ve spent this past week with Internet outages, lots of car drama, spring cleaning, and making furniture orders. There has been little time to write. But now I’m here with my cup of coffee and I plan to catch up.
In a world filled with more technological distractions than ever before, social networks, smart phones, etc, what strategies do you enforce in your life in order to stay focused on your goals and living life in real-time to the fullest? – Neha
I’m not sure I have any strategies to limit my time with technology other than making sure I spend face-time with the people I love. Hey, unexpected Face-Time pun!
Our wedding officiator opened our ceremony with a welcome to the marriage of danielbergey.com and aelki.com (those were our respective blogs at the time). My husband and I met through blogging, had blogging friends in the ceremony/attendance, and it well-known that our community of friends had grown by leaps and bounds because of technology.
Daniel’s career means that he is in the Internet World 24/7. My career is being Queen Bee but I navigate through my everyday with the benefit of technology. Every bit of music that I enjoy is through Spotify. I haven’t purchased a CD in probably ten years. I keep track of my budget and health through many different apps. Daniel and I talk to each other throughout the day either online or on our iPhones. I use my Goodreads account religiously. Lately, I’ve been astonished at how much I’m enjoying reading ebooks more than regular books. I plan outings through meetup.com, I read an abundance of sites, I keep up with friends and family through Facebook, and I really can just keep going. I’m a nerd. I love it.
But yes, there are certainly moments when being connected is overwhelming. I think that is human. When I reach that point then I step away. A hot shower in the dark, alone time, a long walk (AUGH NATURE), or a board game with friends (no phones allowed) and I’m ready to delve back in.
Who was your first best friend? – Kristen
Her name was Jana. We were in the 4th grade. I can remember her face and her sweet demeanor but I can’t remember her last name or anything else. I tried to look her up after I got to high school but had no luck.
List all the idiotic things you have done for love. – List Your Self
My list can be summed up with “ignored my gut feelings over and over.” Well, that, and the whole scenario with packing tape.
What three things do you want more of in your life? What three things do you want less of? – Krissy
1. Knowledge. I have a book on the Ancient World that we recently purchased at a library sale. It’s huge and I want to absorb it all. But I have so many other books to read right now. There are TED talks and the entire iTunes University within my reach but it requires time. Can I wish for more time? It frustrates me that I can’t remember some specifics I studied in high school and college. Now that I feel ready to apply myself better, I can’t get enough knowledge.
2. Healthy choices. I’ve been wavering around 11lbs lost this year and I feel a bit stuck. But better choices with food and exercise would help that.
3. Checking items off on my Mighty Life List.
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1. Stress. Whether it is from finances, parenting, or everyday life – less stress would be better. This often means proper planning and patience. Things I need to work on.
2. Time in between seeing family members. My mom and dad will be here in three weeks and Steve and Cassidy are moving to Ohio soon so they will just be three hours away. We’ll see everyone at Ben and Allyson’s wedding in August too. But normally we only see family members a few times each year and I dislike that.
3. Celebrity gossip. When I’m tired and brain dead I can’t stop reading celebrity gossip. Mostly to judge them. Yes, I’m adorable.
What’s in your garden? – Amy
I do not have a garden but I do have a dream of a secret garden one day. Not for vegetables – just beautiful flowers. I’ve always wanted an outdoor sanctuary.
These pictures are from my secret garden Pinterest board.
How do you define happiness – Dana
When you are laying down, the warmth of the sun feels like a light blanket on your skin, and neither the past nor future really matters because you enjoy the way things are. That is how I feel all the time when I’m happy. – Chico Marx
Being in an atmosphere of growth, feeling good about myself and the life I’m living, and pure contentment.
Forget the iPhone and iPad. What invention would make your life better? – Niki
Teleportation. Space travel. A robot that cleans up my kitchen after every meal. Resealable cereal bags. Children with volume controls. A shower where I can store my favorite temperature. Ctrl+f for my brain. A robot masseuse. A sonic screwdriver.