Boy how the world has gotten loud. And sometimes I ask myself, where did all the noise come from? Specifically, where did all the distracting noise come from?
We live in a time when we are faced with a never-ending flood of good news, bad news, viral videos, ads, hacks, trends, and urgent “BUY IT NOW BEFORE ITS ALL GONE,” only to wake up the next day and be flooded AGAIN by all new information before we even had time to process what came to us the day before. There used to be a time when information came in waves. There was a break for us to digest and decide what it all meant.
I think social media was a real turning point for us as a society. It brought a lot of good, a lot of bad, and a lot of things I don’t think we were prepared for. On the one hand, it opened up the world. Giving us the gift of connectivity, it allowed us to meet people from the across the globe, cultivate new relationships that may not have ever existed, and gave us a tool for our voices to be heard. In the beginning I think this was the goal of social media, to bring us closer together. What we didn’t see coming however was as we became more immersed in our digital interactions and relationships, our real-life relationships began to suffer. The like button and quick comments slowly took over the real, quality, face-to-face interactions. Over time as scrolling started to take over the minuets and even hours of our daily routines, we became accustomed to shallow relationships, comparing our lives to the perfectly curated ones of the internet, and to the emotional responses we have toward posts that have been purposefully selected to steal our attention. Without knowing, we became addicted to the dings and pings of our social media notifications.
When was the last time you got to spend uninterrupted time to do something you loved? To go for a hike, read, cook, exercise (without the earbuds), or just sit and listen. I’m willing to bet it’s been a while, and if it hasn’t than bravo to you my friend, keep it up.
I’m guilty of getting lost in the noise. Being curious by nature, I will fill any spare minute with podcasts, reading articles (not reading a book just for the pure joy of reading), and YouTube videos. I have a bad habit of switching the lever to GO and then forgetting to switch it off again. Actively seeking out my curiosity instead of letting it come to me naturally.
We did this so easily as kids, letting curiosity come to us, playing outside and for the most part we never had a screen in front of our face. We were allowed to be bored, and better yet it was up to us to figure out ways to defeat the boredom.
Now, with all that being said, I do want to say that I think technology is awesome. I am not anti-social media, and I love having that handheld google machine at my fingertips. It’s an important tool in my life and work, but I also believe that giving yourself a break from all the technology is not only a nonnegotiable but that it is essential to your mental and emotional well-being. Think of it as a technology cleanse. A chance to reset and keep your footing in a fast-paced world.
At this point you might be thinking “that’s all great Mollee, but what does this have to do with flowers? I’m here for the flowers!”
My answer it this:
WE NEED MORE FLOWERS.
Let me explain. Flowers are one of the few things in life that ask you to be present. They aren’t meant to last forever. Their scent fades, their petals wilt and fall off the stem. There is a reason the saying goes “stop and smell the roses” and it’s because if you choose to ignore the moment, and finish the scroll, by the time you put your phone down those roses may not be there anymore. Flowers have a sneaky way of encouraging mindfulness, reminding us to slow down, and are great at engaging our senses.
The next time you gift someone a bouquet of flowers, watch how their eyes are instantly drawn to them, the expression on their face will usually soften and curve into a genuine smile, and odds are they are going to bring the blooms close to their face to have a smell. And even if those particular flowers don’t have a scent, there is something about seeing those colorful petals that triggers our urge to smell them, and before you know it, you’re completely immersed in the present moment. Seeing the blooms, smelling them, and maybe even reaching out to touch them. I’ve seen this reaction time and time again and it always amazes me how something so simple, like a bouquet a fresh flowers, can so easily invite us back to enjoy the now, if even for a couple of minutes.
We are living in a time when our attention has become one of our most valuable commodities, and it’s important to understand what it feels like to take back control. It’s not enough to only be present in each other’s lives digitally (although it is a wonderful tool if like me, you live states away from your family) but also to make the effort now and again to nurture those real-life connections. And if it has been a while, and you’re not sure how to navigate that face-to-face connection, you can always start with a bouquet of locally grown, farm fresh flowers.
It’s time to get back to front porch sitting, conversations over the fence with your neighbors, and real-world connections. Growing Memories Flower Farm is here to help you cultivate those real-life moments. Because lets be honest, clicking the heart icon on a post just isn’t enough anymore.
