What I Learned | Summer 2020
When looking back at the previous seasons before sitting down to write this post, I was amazed at how much life has changed in the last six months. In the winter, life was normal and just a few months later, we are in the process of changing how we engage with people as the result of the Coronavirus. The endless news cycle is spouting more heartbreaking stories and the political drama is ramping up just in time for election season. It's been one of those low vibrational months, full of stress, fear, and sadness.
I've been working on protecting my energy and limiting my exposure to a lot of the media that is causing the negative feelings. This means less time scrolling and more time reading - who would complain about that? It also means spending more of my free time doing things that bring joy, both to myself and my people. While it might not have been an ideal summer, there were still plenty of lessons to learn.
Clearing the unused apps from your phone makes it easier to find what you're looking for.
I don't know about you, but I love a good digital purge, and I'm always deleting apps that I'm no longer using to make space on my phone. This season, I've been working on backing away from most social media apps. It's hard when, for the last twenty years, we've been conditioned to want to share our lives with every human we know via these addictive time thieves. My eventual goal is to get off the apps completely, but for now, I'm happy to delete them from my phone and only use the desktop versions to preserve the time I would normally waste scrolling.
I don't need to keep up with people who don't care about keeping up with me.
On that same social media note, I was having a conversation with my sister recently about our desire to cut ties with Facebook. She, who rarely uses any social media, mentioned that she is too busy to keep up with anyone else's life. I thought about her words and realized that I, too, have better things to do with my time. Facebook was originally marketed to keep in touch with friends and it's turned into a friend collection site, where we are able to connect with the people with whom we went to high school, our work colleagues, and neighbors. What's sad about calling these people "friends" is that most of them wouldn't notice if I wasn't there. Most of them wouldn't even come to my funeral if I died. So, why am I so worried about how their business is doing or how many kids they have now? Yes, it's definitely time for some changes on this front.
People can't read your mind, so it's best to speak up.
I've been having relationships for, I don't know, all of my years, and yes I still pretend to think that I'm able to telepathically share what I'm feeling, what I need, or why I'm hurt with those I'm closest to. Few in this select group of people know me well enough to be able to tell when I'm upset, but they still don't always know why. A personal reminder: Lecy, you have to open your mouth. No one can read your mind, so it's best to speak up. Good communication skills are something I wish I had learned in school because it would have saved so much time and frustration. Alas, this is a lesson one can only learn with experience.
Men don't have good skincare resources or products.
I was recently listening in on a research call about men's skincare where a group of gentlemen and a moderator discussed things like acne, folliculitis, visiting the dermatologist, and good products to use. What I learned is that there are no resources for men's skincare concerns. According to the moderator in this group, most of the men that she had spoken with used their wives' skincare products or their normal bar soap to clean and care for their faces. They were clueless about what specialized products to use for breakouts and blemishes because these products are usually only marketed to women. It was unanimous that most men dislike the all-in-one products that are designed for men because what's good for the body might not be good for the scalp or face. I can only hope that the outcome of this call and others like it will lead to some better resources for men. Skincare is important, no matter the gender.
Scientists might be able to revive animals that have become extinct.
I remember reading that the last male northern white rhino had died last year, leaving only two females and no possibility for the natural continuation of the species. It made me sad because, in my lifetime, so many animals have become endangered or extinct, many at the hands of humans. I was encouraged, though, to see this video from TED-Ed about how scientists are coming up with a plan to try to bring them back, with the help of the southern white rhino. I will never tire of science and the fascinating possibilities it brings to life.
