Because your body and soul will thank you for it.
I almost felt wrong writing a story online about living life offline, but here goes. The truth is I felt compelled to write a little something after watching a refreshingly honest and open conversation among three amazing women, who are on different journeys in life.
The digital talk show and podcast series is called "The Same Room," and you can find it on several platforms, including YouTube, Spotify and Apple Podcast. Host Stephanie Ike sat down with Pastor Sarah Jakes Roberts and Actress Essence Atkins to discuss "how we live between the gap of our desire and whether or not it’s fulfilled." If you saw the episode, it's worth re-watching and putting some sticky note reminders on your mirror of the wisdom you gleaned (oh, is that just me?).
Now, I was in pandemic mode when the show first aired in May 2020, but chiillleee (Sarah Jakes Roberts voice), the realness that came forth was a fresh word for me in 2021.
Ike kicks off the show by stating facts: Every desire we have is attached to a wait. But how do we live in that space, in the gap of a desire and it being fulfilled or not fulfilled? Before I skip ahead, take a minute and sit with that question. Take your time!
If you're like me, perhaps your scroll game is on lock. I can breeze through an online story in no time. But offline living forces me to slow down and unpack what I might have read, heard, or what I'm really feeling deep down. That's what "The Same Room" did for me.
Here are a few thought-provoking nuggets I gleaned that you might enjoy sitting with when you're offline:
What are you waiting for and what outcome are you expecting?
What narrative are you telling yourself, and are you waiting well?
What happens if the outcome is different than what you are hoping for?
Who are you offline, and how do you affirm yourself?
When you look in the mirror, what do you see and what are you telling yourself?
This is what I call root growth. This is the deep, soul work that everyone cannot immediately see because it's not their growth to nurture and protect. Roots run deep, but too often we stunt our growth by comparing our lowlights to others' highlights, as SJR noted. Yes, we KNOW this already, but yet we rob ourselves of fullness and wholeness by subjecting ourselves to comparison.
What we often see online is the fruit (real or fake). We don't always see the root, and we certainly don't tend to see the labor, bumps, falls and scrapes that happened offline. As often as you can, give yourself the space to rest, celebrate your wins, enjoy big and small moments and soak in the fullness of your life offline.
How are you living life offline? Drop me a note and share what's good.