March = Media Fast

Well I'm back!  Last month I decided to go on a "media fast". My media fast was no facebook, no blog (of my own or looking at others blogs), no (ok really it turned out to just be limited) mindless web surfing in order to procrastinate homework, no movies or TV (I made an exception during spring break and a little on the weekends,) and limited ipod usage.  My goal was to disconnect from the world and to reconnect with my life. 

I wish that I could say that I did something extra amazing with all the extra time that I had, you know, something that would be worthy of a novel or a really exciting blog post series, like "I decided since I had so much extra time to spontaneously jump on a plane and move to England.  Oh and guess what, I met the Prince Charming there are we went on a really cool adventure, and he saved me of course (that's why we have Prince Charming's).  I hated him at first, but then one day I looked into his deep blue eyes and I realized that we were in love.  So we're getting married next week.  (haha APRIL FOOLS!!)"

But I don't have any really cool stories from my month of March.  I spent my extra time doing homework, working, cleaning, and chilling with the roommies.  But I actually am kind of sad to not be on the media fast anymore.  Because my life was a lot more meaningful and a lot less stressful.  I was able to receive some insights about my life that I don't think I could have received "plugged in".  So I've made a few changes to my life and to my priorities in life.  I've realized that "early to bed and early to rise" really does make a woman "healthy and wealthy and wise" (actually I'm still waiting on the wealthy part) I used my extra time to do some extra reading (Jane Austen, of course, I'm almost done with her last book, Lady Susan) and to listen to some words of the prophets on here and to learn about creativity on here .  I hope to apply more especially about the creativity to my life, but I'll talk more about that on a later post.  I realized that it's time for me to stop "waiting" for the things that I really want in life but to actually take action to help things happen.  Basically, especially after listening to this yesterday and today I feel the need to try a little harder to be a better person.

As I re-enter the media world, I realize that there are some guidelines that I need to set up for myself.  I have to limit the amount of time I spend using media because while I believe that it is ok in small amounts of time and there are some great things made available to us through all this new technology, it has the power to completely take over your life if you let it.  And while I want to continue blogging and facebook because I find it therapeutic and it's a great way to keep up with people, I have to be so careful not to compare myself to the people who's blogs I read.  I have this crazy, little nit-picky part of myself that likes to compare my weaknesses against others strengths, and sense most people prefer to make public on the Internet all their strengths I have this terrible habit of looking at others and thinking to myself "Their life is going so well.  Why can't my life go that well?  Why can't I be more like them this way and this way and this way? Or why don't I have this and that and the other that they have?  Why am I loser with tons of problems while they are amazing with no problems what-so-ever?"  And then I just feel bad about myself.  That is probably what I have loved the most about this past month, I have pretty much stopped comparing myself to my friends and family and I feel a lot better about myself and my life.  But I am determined to not only find the good in my own life, but to see the good in others lives and instead of being jealous, being happy for them.