A friend of mine was hosting a party for a home-based food business. Having bought products from the company in the past, there was one item I was particularly excited about re-ordering. But after a quick scan of the catalogue and not being able to find it, the presenter told me it had been discontinued. Seriously? She assured me there was a new product I would likely enjoy if I wanted to give it a try. I didn't want to give it a try. I wanted what I couldn't have.
Our on-demand, instant access, want-what-we-want-when-we-want-it culture makes it difficult to accept that we can't have something at any given point in time. When pretty much everything is available to us 24-hours a day we become accustomed to having access to anything at any time.
The thought of being denied is not a comfortable one for us, which is why some make an intentional effort this time of year to give something up. In the 40 days leading up to Easter, many individuals will choose to deny themselves something special to them. Popular choices include chocolate, coffee, or sugar or giving up an activity like watching TV, being on social media or going to the gym in favor of more time for study or prayer.
Giving up something is not easy because we don't like to be uncomfortable. We struggle with the idea if it's something we've never had to do before. It goes against what we know and how we live.
Beyond being a spiritual discipline, those outside of religious communities also tout the idea of giving something up, because it highlights where our time and energies are being spent.
That's the thought behind the National Day of Unplugging which is set to be observed by people wanting, and willing, to disconnect from their digital devices from sundown March 6 to sundown March 7. It is described as a 24-hour respite from technology, and those taking part will set aside their devices and focus on connecting with people and their community in real time.
Events are being held in numerous places encouraging people to be outside, go for walks, participate in sports, attend community center board game nights, or signing up for a painting or cooking class offered specifically during that time period. It's one of those things that makes you wonder: do we really need a day to be reminded of this? Perhaps we do; and if so, let's heed the nudge.
Beyond a practice of faith or national day, there just might be something to this whole thing of looking at our time, activities and appetites and determining if there is something that could, or should, go. We might discover an unexpected blessing in trying to give something up since it may introduce us to something we hadn't thought to pursue before. Because the true value in this is not short term deprivation, but rather long term transformation. In experiencing the lack of one thing we are able to find so much more. But only if we take the time to recognize where we can be making meaningful change.
The idea of giving something up can be uncomfortable because we are accustomed to such abundance. Not just in material things, although that's true too, but also in what can attract our attention, draw out our enthusiasm or simply entertain us. But in that abundance it is easy to lose our way. We get so busy in our distractions we don't have time for the divine. We are so used to having so much it can become unsettling to think about giving any of it up. Or we are so afraid of missing the next post we fail to truly see what is happening in front of us.
Whatever motivates us to do it, we could find that when we aren't trying to hang on to all of it, we will discern what we truly need. In giving something up we just might discover how much more there really is. That's my outlook.
