I wandered through a strange city alone on the other side of the world. A loudspeaker droned on, as the Quran was repeated time and time again to signal the beginning of Ramadan. To me, this was nothing more than an annoyance.
My day had been ruined, or so I thought. My smartphone lay smashed to pieces in my hostel room, the result of a careless accident stepping off a train.
I walked quickly in a tunnel vision of rage and frustration created by my own mind, ignoring my surroundings completely.
Without access to Instagram or even my camera, there was no possibility of taking photos.
After 30 minutes of strolling without direction, it became clear to me that I was completely lost. 30 minutes became 1 hour. Then 1 hour became 2.
I suddenly noticed that a smile had crept upon my face. Ideas came rushing into my mind. Interesting ideas. Creative ideas. I began to notice the environment around me; what an interesting city!
The droning of the Quran over the loudspeaker had lost it annoyance, it transformed into something soothing, hypnotising, spiritual.
The sun had begun setting behind the horizon turning the sky a a mixture of orange and red.
Despite the frustration I had felt just hours earlier, the future now seemed filled with opportunity and hope. Th light seemed to sparkle in a way I hadn’t noticed before. And my eyes felt wide open, awake and focused.
I had tapped into a feeling that I hadn’t felt in a long, long time. How long had it been since I felt like this? Months? Years? So long that I had forgotten a feeling like this could exist.
And I thought to myself, that I needed to capture this feeling and keep it for the rest of my life. I needed to quit technology. Quit modernity. And live somewhere wild and free. Because this was the way human-beings are supposed to feel.
Stress is caused by being “here” but wanting to be “there,” or being in the present but wanting to be in the future.” ― Eckhart Tolle, The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment
As you consume media throughout the day, particularly social media and advertising, you begin to feel as though where you are right now is unacceptable.
As you consume media throughout the day, certain thoughts may begin to sneak into your mind: I need to go to the gym more. Maybe I should start a business. I need a nice suit. I wonder if I can become more fashionable. I need to start earning more money. God I’m such a loser. Maybe I can become a pro-gamer. I could start streaming and become e-famous. I need to get a six-pack.
The self-talk goes on and on. Round and round in an endless daily cycle. A cycle that was started and is maintained by the social media, advertising and other media sources you\’re constantly exposed to. Imagining yourself in the future in a new, improved life.
You see, when you compare yourself to images of people who your mind ranks as being of higher standing in the “tribe” than you, you begin to feel unsatisfied. Like everything you\’ve been doing so far up until this point has been wrong. That the party is somewhere else and you\’re not there.
Your evolutionary instincts kick in and you begin to feel low status in the tribe. The logic inevitably follows: You shouldn\’t be doing what you\’re doing right now. Something needs to change.
But this conclusion should be based on the physical people around you, not media images. Unfortunately, your lizard brain can’t tell the difference between the pixelated people on your screen, and the real physical beings in your real-life. It treats those artificially perfect humans on our screens as real, and then compares our real selves to them; inevitably placing us in a low ranking in the tribe that our mind is designed for.
Yet it’s a trick. Because there is no tribe. And the superior people on your screens aren’t people, they’re pixels created by electricity.
Seeing constant media images of the success of others creates an obsessive need inside you to “make it”. The present moment becomes a mere stepping stone to the future, with no intrinsic value. Your life\’s journey is transformed from a delightful adventure into an obsessive need to jump forwards in time to an imagined improved future. You become less aware of the beauty that surrounds you on a daily basis and life ceases to be enjoyable. This is the mindset social media and advertising triggers inside of you.
What happens when you spend time away from your screens and from advertising billboards? When your environment only consists of trees, birds and grass? Your constant feelings of discontentment drift away, and you return to the bassline level of how human-beings are supposed to feel.
“When the food or drink comes around, reach out and take some politely; if it passes you by don’t try pulling it back. And if it has not reached you yet, don’t let your desire run ahead of you, be patient until your turn comes” – Epictetus (Enchiridion)
Instead of comparing yourself to media images, look at those in the physical space around you. Those people made of flesh and blood. What are they doing? How do you stack up against them? How do you compare to them? Are they invited to this imaginary party? If you\’re going to play the comparison game, you need accurate data. And digital images of people isn\’t accurate data, real people are.
The party isn’t in a nightclub. It’s not on a millionaire’s yacht filled with hot babes. It’s not in a different country. It’s not on your screens. And it’s not in the future. The party is exactly where you are right now.
After all, now is the only time that truly exists. The past and the future only exist in your mind.
Screens and media will take the present moment away from you; don’t let them.
Wherever you are, be there totally – Eckhart Tolle
