Happy Valentine's Day everyone! I hope that someone has wished you a Happy Valentine's Day. Everyone deserves a little love now and then.
Facebook and other social media tools make it easier to send greetings and well-wishes to others on special occasions such as today. There is a ton of creativity out there when it comes to gifts, but is posting a message on someone's Facebook wall, or sending them a Twitter update as meaningful as making a phone call or sending a card? Probably not...
I often think about how connected we have become as a society, yet so impersonal at the same time. We choose to often communicate in quick blurbs and keystrokes rather than use the telephone or more traditional modes of communication. We certainly can perform more tasks daily due to the technology we now use and adore, but we still end up wishing we had more time left in each day. How can we fit in all the things that we feel that we "need" to do?
Yesterday at Church, my pastor used an old illustration to comment on how we fill our lives with multiple tasks and worries. Here is a summary:
- He showed us two large glass jars:
- The first jar was 3/4 full with small white rocks (symbolizing all of the little things we focus so much attention on.)
- The second jar was empty.
- Also, he had six loose larger black rocks (symbolizing the more important values we have and taks we should tend to.)
- First, he demonstrated that when we attempt to place more important things in the almost full jar, the jar overflows and there is not enough space.
- Secondly, he removed the large rocks from the first jar.
- Thirdly, he placed the large rocks into the empty jar first, mentioning that its important to build a foundation on the important things like faith and family.
- Finally, he poured all of the small white rocks from the first jar into the second jar with the larger black rocks. After doing this, it was obvious that all of the rocks fit with room to spare.
Sure, this is a bit of an old parlor trick, but it drove home a good point. Focus on what is most important, and tend to the little things after that. You'll accomplish more of what you want, and place the primary emphasis on what is truly important. This made me think alot about my faith, my relationship with my wife, my children, and other important things in my life. As someone that is constantly trying to improve himself, I found that my pastor's visual illustration was very motivational.
Although I did indeed post a Happy Valentine's Day message on my wife's Facebook wall, I plan on telling her that in person this evening, and giving her and my children the attention that they truly deserve. Focus on the big stuff... there's plenty of time for the little things later.
Social media provides us with some really useful functionality. I enjoy learning about social media, using it to reconnect, and utilizing its benefits in terms of creating communites and content distribution. However, there's nothing wrong with picking up the phone or visiting someone and actually saying "Happy Valentine's Day."
What do you think? Have our lives become too impersonal due to the overuse of social media tools? How are you managing to tend to the things that are most important to you and still accomplishing all of the other things you want to do? Leave me a comment below, I'd love to hear from you!
