Hope all is well and that you enjoyed your time off.
Have you already broken you “New Years Resolution”?
Don’t give up. Try a little harder!
And what if your resolution is “history”?
It’s not too late for a new one!
… “Fifty Ways to Improve Your Life”.
It was the cover story in the last issue of U.S. News and World Report.
Among them?
“Give Each Week a Tech-Free Day”.
It mentioned a protest at Western Kentucky University.
Students were encouraged to reconnect with the actual world.
How?
By disconnecting from their cell phones and iPods!
“Take out the earplugs and plug into the world…”
It wasn’t a protest against technology itself. But against the way we use it today…
That we take charge of technology before it takes charge of us….
People checking their Blackberries under the table while on a date… “electronic cocaine!”
… And I’m thinking to myself.
“Hum. This sounds familiar.
I wonder if the author of the article knows that there is a name for this.
Shabbat!
And how about the students protesting”?
Do they realize what they’re really saying?
“We need Shabbat!”
… Then I got to the end of the article.
“Technology’s double edge sword troubles high-tech gurus like David Levy, a professor at the Information School at the University of Washington.
For his part, Levy observes a 24-hour Sabbath break each week from all things electronic.”
There it was. Shabbat!
“Whether you think of this as a religious mandate or simply as a good idea”, Levy says…
“It’s a bit of ancient wisdom that people can incorporate into their lives”.
… That brings us back to resolutions.
I think we can all sense that it’s a good idea.
But the problem with good ideas?
Most people don’t do them!
“Maybe next week…!”
In Jewish tradition “giving each week a tech-free day” is a religious mandate.
But Jewish growth has to come in small steps.
Here’s my suggestion.
Take advantage of a great idea.
Connect yourself to thousands of years of Jewish tradition.
To the world around you. To family and friends. To G-d.
And to yourself!
… Join the CTN Torah Minute Tech-Free Shabbat!
And here are two ways to improve your chances of keeping this resolution.
Keep it realistic.
Just think this Shabbat.
Second?
Make it official. Send me an e-mail. greatidea@torahnetwork.org
All the best,