July 31st, 2013
The Common Virus That Can Bring Us All Together
This past weekend, I was diagnosed with a virus.
I learned that I am suffering from a condition that seriously hampers my everyday life.
It’s called the Too-Much-Technology Flu.
And I’m suffering from the 24/7 strain of this dastardly disease.
(Okay, okay, I had to give away the punchline real quick because I didn’t want you to worry about me!) :)
But seriously—I am ALWAYS on the computer, online, on the phone, texting, or checking in. Can you relate at all?
Being a blogger and a person who talks on the phone for a living, this makes sense.
It’s sorta what I do. It’s how I gotta roll.
But this weekend, as I self-diagnosed my condition, I was reminded of something I hadn’t really understood since I lived in Costa Rica, which is this:
Life is so rich, in such a different way, when I have to check out from my normal way of doing things.
This weekend I was forced to check out.
I was on a camping trip in the middle of the middle of Montana. A big field set up for camping and a giant music festival.
No charging stations. No Wi-Fi. No computer breaks. It was down a buncha dirt roads, in the middle of a field.
As you may have noticed, I’m in the midst of bringing the Wildheart Revolution to life.
Which requires a lot of Internet time.
So you might imagine that there was a slight-freak out when I realized I would be unconnected for four whole days. Without a way to charge my phone in case an Internet emergency happened (like for instance, someone had a question about the Wildheart Revolution and I wasn’t there to answer it immediately…GASP!)
And to be honest, I almost cancelled the trip for this very reason.
But I didn’t. And I’m so glad— because this weekend was filled to the brim with moments that the reminded me what living really is.
In a Too-Much-Technology Flu society, living a Wildheart life is what brings us together.
Because the Wildheart life is about anything but ‘business as usual’.
It’s about being present with people you love.
It’s connecting in a real way.
It’s giving yourself the space and time to breathe.
And take a break.
And to see your world in a different way.
It’s about taking a few extra moments in the morning to read a good book.
Or a few extra moments to say howdy to your neighbor.
To have a real conversation with whoever is in front of you because neither of you have any other place to be.
This is freedom.
And when I really started thinking about it, I realized that THIS is the reason I’m creating the Wildheart Revolution.
For us Wild Ones, it’s our home away from home.
Our metaphorical camping trip in the middle of Montana.
The place where we all get to go and enjoy our lives and be ourselves and be around likeminded people we love who all appreciate the same things.
Where we get a bit dirty. But offer each other washcloths and warm water.
Where we learn some new survival skills.
Where we stretch a bit beyond what we’re used to.
I don’t know about you, but as of today, my life isn’t structured such that I would want to live in the middle of a field all the time.
And I love that about my life. But I also know I need to be reminded to check out to return to my true nature, every now and again.
And this is the Wildheart Revolution.
It’s the place to go that is unlike any other place. The place to go to be yourself. And let go a little bit.
To put on that dress you’ve been meaning to wear all year and go out into a dirt field and dance to good music—only to look over and smile in appreciation at someone just like you doing the same damn thing.
It’s recognition. It’s tribe. It’s your way to check out while not giving up the things you love about your life.
(Yes, you really CAN have it all.)
As soon as I’m done unpacking from my trip (dust and dirt abounds!), I’m going to finish up whatever work I have and grab my book and head to the park. There is no reason I can’t have my camping trip all the time.
This is a Wildheart Life. And I’m inviting you to take part.
Won’t you join me?
We’ll dance ‘til dawn with Life, and shake the dust off our boots when we get home and plop down on our plump pillows.
(And yes, details ARE comin’ around the bend in two shakes of a lamb’s fuzzy backside appendage.)
If you’re game, make sure you leave your name on this sweet little list so I know how to get ahold of you to plan our next (virtual) camping adventure.
And now, Wildheart, do tell!
In what ways could you check out a bit more in your life?
How could you spend a little more time on the QUALITY of your connections rather than the quantity?
Could you take a friend out for coffee or drinks instead of commenting on her Facebook status?
Turn off Facebook entirely and look into your child’s eyes as she shows you that drawing she just made?
Or maybe curl up with a clock-stopping story and reconnect with the wild imaginative side of you that knows how to bend reality to meet up with your dreams?
As always, leave a comment and let me know what you’re thinking.
Can’t wait to hear from you (and your Wildheart spirit).
With just as much REAL LIFE gratitude, as internet appreciation,
Your Wildhearted Chief, Sally Hope
P.S. Don’t miss out when I open the doors to your Wildheart Revolution! Get your name on the VIP list and be the first in line to find out about the special honors I’m bestowing upon the Original Wild Ones. See you there!
I LOVE this post- and I am so excited about the Wildheart tribe :) sometimes we end up in life exactly where we should be without even trying.
That’s how I ended up here, at Wildheart. You could call it fate, a gut instinct…but when you know, you just know- living that way is one way I’m trying to embrace being a Wildheart.
The part you wrote about putting on a dress, dancing in a field, and looking over and smiling to see someone else doing the same thing?
Wow. I’ve always been the “crazy” girl dancing alone, getting “those” looks…
But maybe not anymore ;)
Not anymore lady!! You’re now in a band of “crazies” who all think like you and want the same things as you. I’m so glad you stumbled upon us. You’re a Wildheart. I’m guessing you always have been. And now your sisters are waiting for you, to give you a hug. See you realllll soon. :)
I love checking out!!! It’s such a great reminder. Was thinking about this just yesterday. Is that why i went on a 2 month sabattical to the remote mountains of peru this past spring. yep, to check out & simultaneuously check in. but you’re right, it doesn’t have to be so extreme. it can be a wkd out at the ranch or just a few hours in the park to yourself. you have to be connected to really stay connected, right? THANKS SALLY! great reminder. stoked to get you out to the ranch one day (no internet, no cell) ;) namaste wildhearters!
Ooooh totally!! “You have to be connected to stay connected.” Thank you for your comment. And yeah, I think you’re absolutely right. A lot of times we tend to be so extreme. Like if I can’t live without FB for a month it’s a failure and I shouldn’t even try. When sometimes, going one day or one week or one hour is good enough.
Love you lady! Thank you for chiming in.
“It’s recognition. It’s tribe. It’s your way to check out while not giving up the things you love about your life.” Love it! I totally relate to getting ‘out’ of your head, tech, the zone, whatever it is to just live. I love getting together & doing something so simple with like-minded people who absolutely love life & know how to appreciate people. I was totally fried recently & needed to check out myself so I took a weekend escapade with two of my really good gay guy friends. They made my weekend so worth it! Just catching up one night drinking wine & having brunch the next day continuing our meaningful conversation was the best two days I’ve had in a while. Sometimes you totally do need to ‘check out’ to get revved up. Thanks for posting this Sally! :)
Thanks for sharing your experiences, and for the helpful reminder of the importance of “checking out” and disconnecting sometimes. That’s something I need to do more of for sure! Although I do make it a priority a couple times a week to go meandering through the woods to reconnect with nature. It helps clear my mind and stay grounded with my true nature. But I could certainly go for some wild adventures with other Wildhearts, which I’m looking forward to doing sometime in the near future.
Stay wild!
I LOVE this post Sally Hope. It’s inspired me to commit to 6 hours per week of face-to-face, Wildheart-to-Wildheart, connection with human beings who I don’t live with! W<3
This post made me tear up, Sally! It’s just so refreshing to know that I am not alone in wanting to have it all and not settling for less; that I’m not a lunatic for wanting to live a balanced, connected life- connected with the world through the internet & through nature and food & through my wildheart.
And, I’m going to wear a dress & heels to Zumba class tonight in honor of the Wildheart Revolution. <3
Believe it or not, I HATE technology. Not like I’m a technophobe kind of thing, but I hate the notion of I have to be connected, I have to be the face of the company, that kind of thing. Mr. McMahon I’m not. I would be FAR happier running things behind the scenes, doing the creative stuff, but having others take the forefront. I don’t need the applause, I don’t need the pat on the back. I know what I am capable of doing, and everyone that works with me knows that.
I’m not shy, I just don’t need to be in the spotlight. Aside from the fact I’m FAR from photogenic, I just don’t feel the need to be the one out front. I can lead from the front in battle, but leading SFP is not being in the Marines.
I hate that I have to be the one doing everything, and that if I don’t work, things don’t get done. I hate that I have to wear a phone and keep everyone’s info in a Blackberry or back it up in spreadsheets or databases. I hate having to be connected to everyone and having to be the one to stimulate discussions on the SFP Facebook, I hate having to always pick up the phone, in case it is an order.
I much preferred the pager days, when you could choose who to ignore. I hate having such a high profile and miss when I could do things like just go out camping and forget everything. No computers, no phones, no nothing but me, a tent, and a sleeping bag. And lots of chow.