DON ’ T LOSE FOCUS
CUS
I LOSE FOCUS .
That farsighted vertigo I get from trips fades in a few days . The walls regain their solidity , taking the stairs becomes more labored , and my showers use more water . I settle back into my routine and the awareness of the grind dissolves . Nothing is sharp , save for the pixels on the screens . I close my office blinds so there ’ s no glare . Weeks and months waste by and malaise blankets me . Triumphant photos of my adventures that adorn my desk fail to invigorate and go another day unremembered . I forget to purposely live life and instead revert to watching others enjoy theirs through algorithmgenerated feeds , fixated on dopamine hits with each swipe . I let time pass unremarkably without new feats of fun . My wife and I realized we were working too hard to fill a house with things we didn ’ t need to impress people we didn ’ t care about solely because that ’ s what society said to do . The hampster wheel was real .
We quit that and reoriented our lives to emphasize experiences over things . We adopted the attitude of , “ there ’ s no use in being the richest people in the graveyard .” emailing and solving other people ’ s problems- just like everybody else . For 14 years I ’ ve hulked at a desk with my eyes two feet from dual Designed-by-Applein-California monitors . That ’ s roughly 280,000 hours looking at what ’ s directly in front of me . My kids would be monstrously jealous if they knew how much screen time I get . Those monitors are my literal world at work because they fill my peripheral vision and everything happens inside them , so they get my full attention . My thoughts become restricted to the immediate and the current and the small , not the later and larger and fuller .
I now wear cargo pants and travel shirts to remind myself of what I ’ d rather be doing- exploring on four knobby tires ( or my two legs ) and collecting memories . I re-focused on making plans and trips happen . Bon Jovi was right- it ’ s my life . My message to you , fellow reader , is don ’ t lose sight of who you are . Quit putting other people ’ s priorities before yours and don ’ t let other people be selfish with your time . Go do that trip you keep pushing to “ someday .” Dust off that map you bought off Amazon eight months ago and plot a route on it . Who cares what your rig is like or if you don ’ t have a skottle . Take ownership and make it happen . Be purposeful and dedicate time to it planning . Snap out of your funk , open your eyes , and go experience a story you want to tell . Reorient yourself , prioritize your travels , and then don ’ t lose that outside focus .
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