Cutting Back & Moving Forward

I read this article by Chris Brogan recently and it made me think... and then it made me stop doing stuff.


He says:

I think that I equate “busy” with the “need to be visible.” I create so much material because I have lots of ideas and I want to share them. I want to share them because I love feedback. I crave feedback. And at a very base level, I just want to be “seen.” 

Most humans want this. The Zulu say “Sawubona” as a greeting. It translates to: “I see you.” I recognize that you are there. It’s a powerful want for a lot of us, to be seen, to be heard. 

But it can also be another kind of addiction. Addiction to feedback hampers a lot of other valuable pursuits. How often do you rush to see if anyone’s commented on your Facebook status or retweeted your witty tweet? How many times do you check on your blog to see whether you need to answer a comment? Ask yourself quite honestly what purpose this activity serves.

His article made me think about how often I stay up past midnight drafting a blog post that few people will read, or editing vacation photos when they were probably fine in the first place, or coming up with new things to share in a status update.

Foggy Morning | Photo taken with Instagram app for iPhone

And so, if you notice in the coming weeks that I'm posting less often, it's not because I don't have things to say. It's because I'm trying to tame my desire to constantly share my thoughts. (And also because my wedding is only five weeks away and I'm scurrying to get things done in time).

My focus is on filtering through things in my life that are no longer necessary to make room for someone who is.