Okay, so this is a bit of a cheat since dogs don’t ever get ON the internet to begin with (well, unless you count the thousands of times they’ve appeared in photos and videos I posted).
But given a little historical blip that occurred a few months back, I thought this would be a good addition to self-improvement that also, coincidentally, involved the dogs.
On August 11, 2022, I woke up to find no new emails, no new texts, no new social media posts–nothing. I checked my internet connection, turned the modem on and off, and still, nothing. Then it dawned on me: our internet was down. No problem; I switched to cellular data so I could access my accounts and sites that way.
But cellular data was also down!
As it turned out, our internet provider, Rogers, experienced some kind of malfunction and the entire system was out of commission for almost all of their customers–across the country (which, in case you weren’t aware, is Canada).
Now, this situation wouldn’t normally have a major impact on the population, except that Rogers is one of only three providers “permitted” in our country (internet is heavily regulated here). They serve about one third of the entire citizenry.
So, when Rogers goes down, it means none of those people can use the internet–or, as it turns out, the ATM machines, or pay with credit or debit at most stores, or do their banking at certain banks, or pay for groceries, or fill their cars with gas, or board a bus or train, or . . . a plethora of other normal daily activities. (See how great an all-digital currency system would be?).
“No Rogers” meant we were plunged back to what life was like in 1990–only worse, since many of the stores people tried to frequent with cash were unable to accept it, either, since their operations are almost 100% digital (see how much fun an all-digital currency would be?).
Apart from the obvious perils of a fully-digital financial system, this internet fail meant I couldn’t do any work or even communicate with anyone except the hubs and The Girls (since our telephones are all either cellular or, in the house, VOIP).
So what happened?
To begin with, I spent more time than usual in my morning routine: exercise, Qi Gong, even some additional meditation before my shower and morning ablutions.
I cooked up a full, weekend-worthy brunch of tofu scramble, waffles and side salad. Then we enjoyed it the way we would as tourists in a cafe on the Champs Elysees, sipping our matcha lattes, conversing about nothing, remaining in the moment and fully chewing our food (my digestive system thanks you, Rogers).
Also, I read waaaay more than usual: the novel I’d started and hadn’t been able to finish; the business books I’d bought and never even looked at before then; the Substack essays I’d been meaning to consume for ages; all the blogs I’d neglected.
I played with The Girls to their hearts’ delight.
I tidied the kitchen, folded the otherwise overlooked laundry, dusted the living room, and even organized my closet a tad.
I sat and allowed myself to just. . . think. (Radical, I know).
Honestly, it was stellar. I enjoyed Every. Single. Moment.
Does that mean I didn’t obsessively check my phone for the first hour, hoping it would turn back on? No, of course not. And I checked it again several times throughout the morning, too. But eventually, I just decided to let it go and pretend there were no phones or internet in the world.
And oh, what a brave new world that had no World Wide Web in it!
I remembered why matcha is my favorite beverage. The grassy, slightly umami, steamy, creamy goodness of my morning latte. The way Zoey’s fur is velvety-soft on her ears, then shifts to slick and shiny on her shoulders and wavy, unruly, mane-like on her back (with those little white toe warmers on her hind paws). How a thriving basil plant periodically emits a waft of its aroma when you’re seated next to it, reading Ray Dalio’s Principles. The erratic rhythms of Buena Vista Social Club emanating throughout the downstairs.
I have to admit, when the lines reconnected and the phone beeped its way back to life, I felt a modicum of disappointment. I’d barely begun to appreciate the world around me once again.
Needless to say, the dogs were up for the challenge, in spades. More time with the humans? Undivided attention, and none of the “Mum’s staring at her little box again” nonsense? What could be better?
So here’s the challenge for this week: Let’s live in the world in a way that comes naturally to dogs, and re-create that nondigital environment for at least one hour a day.
One of my business gurus tells us to “create before you consume,” and I intend to insert that mantra, literally, into my life.
This week, I’ll swear off my phone for at least an hour in the morning until after I’ve spent time working at my desk. I’ll create something in writing (ideally, this very newsletter) before I even think about turning on my phone.
Can I do it? Can you? Let’s give it a go and find out.
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Last week’s challenge: Express Unbridled Enthusiasm. How did it go?
When we examine the spectrum between “extreme emotional expression” and “no emotional expression at all,” most adults fall somewhere in the middle.
Right?
Sure, it’s easy to become enthusiastic about something unusually novel or exciting, or something you feel strongly about. For example, even grandparents are enthusiastic about leaving their snow-encased homes in Maine or Quebec for a few months of sunshine and palm trees in Florida or Bali. But do they actually express that enthusiasm–and is it, literally, unbridled?
In my case, I realized the answer was, “Most of the time,” and “No.”
So, on to becoming more like Zoey in that area!
I started with (of course) the dogs. Easy to express one’s enthusiasm when it matches the level of the dog herself. The only problem there, which I should have anticipated but didn’t, was that Zoey became even more excitable (I know, we didn’t think that was possible) when I mirrored her own cyclonic energy. Having both of us prancing, leaping and yelling at the tops of our lungs wasn’t exactly a pleasant experience.
Next, I moved on to humans. I made sure to let my sister, cousin, and anyone else who called the house know that I was happy to hear from them (that realtor inquiring about whether or not we’d like to sell the house was definitely taken aback). When making brunch plans over text, I ended the conversation with, “Can’t wait to see you!!!!!”. Copywriter tips about deleting exclamation marks be damned. (We’ll see how that went over).
But more than anything, I wanted to bring this kind of openness and basic joie de vivre into my daily life. It was tougher than I’d imagined, and took a bit of a shift in perspective.
I thought back to the very first challenge in this series, the instruction to “find joy, even in negative situations.” Right now, there’s so much I could consider “negative” in the world and my life.
First off, it’s winter. Anyone who knows me knows that I abhor winter. I detest the snow and ice. I cringe at the prospect of donning hat, mitts, scarf, coat, boots. I hate all the extra bulk of sweaters around your wrists when you’re trying to type or wash dishes. I shudder at the prospect of walking on black ice, wiping out and breaking a bone. I loathe the feeling of frosty wind against my delicate bare cheeks.
I hate the way my fingertips lose feeling even though I have those outrageously expensive “winter insulated” gloves. I hate the way my nose feels frozen and I can’t breathe because it’s gets congested from the cold. I hate the way my glasses then fog up and I can’t see because I have my scarf over my nose. I hate the way I then have to breathe through my mouth, and my breath condenses on my scarf and freezes into a solid patch of ice in front of my face.
I curse this godforsaken weather every single frigid hour. Every chilled-to-the-bone minute. Every numbing, blustery second.
And also, I don’t like winter very much.
(Here are Zoey and me, both reacting to the weather. Watch to end to see my lovely countenance).
But what about all the other “negatives”? The skyrocketing inflation and prices of just about everything, a government that’s becoming increasingly authoritarian and doesn’t tolerate differences of opinion, divided populations everywhere, lost friendships and severed family relationships, the constant hovering threat of more war. . . . it’s enough to snuff out any enthusiasm you might have mustered.
So instead, I decided to focus on the joyful bits and become enthused about those. Like Zoey, I expressed my avid appreciation for my favorite foods. I put just a wee bit more energy into my daily workout. When I thanked the hubs for setting the table of his own volition, I said it like I meant it.
Of course, my goal would still be to become even more enthusiastic about the little pleasures in life. When I look at Zoey and how content she is after a session with her bone, or a game of “fetch the ring from down the stairs and then back up again,” I know I’ve got a ways to go.
But hey–I’m excited about the prospect!! We can DO THIS THING!!! It’s going to be AWESOME!!!!
I CAN’T WAIT–!!!!!!!
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Now, over to you:
Have you ever gone without your cell phone for an entire day? Was it voluntary–or not? And what were the circumstances?
When’s the last time you were naturally enthusiastic about something–without having to try? Why do you think it was easy?
Do you love matcha like I do? If so, why do you love it? If not, what is wrong with you?
For several months now, I've left my phone in the living room at night, instead of bringing it into my bedroom. It has had a HUGE impact on my mornings because I can't use my phone to procrastinate getting out of bed. No more "I'll just check my emails", which turns to "Let me also check the headlines", and 1 hour later I'm still in bed, with much more anxiety and even less motivation to start my day. Such a simple but powerful change.
I think my household is split about matcha. My partner loves matcha ice cream, I love matcha lattes but don't understand why anyone would want to eat ice cream that isn't sweet... One thing we can all agree on, though, is our love for homemade matcha cookies: https://salu-salo.com/white-chocolate-green-tea-cookies/