Word up, 2024
"How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives." -- Annie Dillard
I've heard that quote before, but when I recently read it again, it hit me smack in the face. Hard. I haven't been able to get it out of my head. I've been mentally repeating it throughout my days. This quote ultimately led me to my word of the year: harmony. Dictionary.com explains that harmony is "a consistent, orderly, or pleasing arrangement of parts; congruity." So, let me explain.
At the end of 2023, I simultaneously read two of Catherine Price's books: How to Break Up With Your Phone and The Power of Fun: How to Feel Alive Again. The title of the first one intrigued me when it popped up on my library app. (If you've been with me since January 2022, you might remember my Dear John letter to my iPhone.) After falling in love with the book, I researched the author (yep, total fangirl over here) and knew I needed to read The Power of Fun. (That's where I read the above quote.) What I didn't realize was the connection between the books' themes. These books made me ask myself:
Do I want to spend my days on auto-pilot?
Do I know what I like to do for fun?
What is fun, really? Do I prioritize it?
Am I present in my mind?
Do I aimlessly scroll social media when I'm subconsciously looking for a dopamine hit?
Do I allow myself to zone out on my phone because I don't know what else I'd do for fun? Do I not have a fun task to look forward to and make time for?
When was the last time I truly disconnected?
With that quote and these questions top of mind, I spent time off over the holidays with my notifications silenced all day and my phone way out of reach. Without the distracting pings and dings, I felt happier and was present. Before bed, instead of reaching for my phone to do a final social media scroll after reading my book, I dusted off an adult coloring book my husband gave me about five Christmases ago. My weekly screen report time was down by nearly 20%. (Ok, so I perused some holiday sales here or there...!)
So this made me reflect: how do I want to spend my life? The answer: in harmony. The above exercise brought to mind the lesson I learned from my functional medicine doctor about the mind, body, and spirit connection. (The irony of lymphedema in my foot literally forcing me to sit down? Well, it's no longer lost on me.) Indeed, he taught me about the "triune of well-being": think of your mind, body, and spirit as equal sides of a triangle. What happens if one side is out of whack? The triangle is no longer evenly balanced as nature intended. Of course weight on the mind will weigh down the body. (Deep, right?)
To put it all together: Mother Nature certainly didn't plan on us being glued to our devices, distracted, or working all the time at the expense of fun. Instead, we should be living life and nurturing the mind, body, and spirit -- equally. The only way to do that is to prioritize harmony. The harmony of the triune of well-being. The harmony of keeping things right where they belong, including me, my thoughts, and my attention.
So I ask, have you thought about how you want to spend the days that make up your life?
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