As a member of society, I feel I’m another rat in the race that we call LIFE. Rewind 20 years ago, and I remember working 20-hour days in the IT industry. Sleeping under my desk to get a project done and working hard to keep timelines on point. It doesn’t take many of those nights to burn out.
However, I didn’t realize what I was burnt out on. It wasn’t the fact that I was working so much but that I didn’t have balance in my life and what seemed like days was YEARS going by. I wasn’t meant to have this type of life. Nobody is. What is the point of life if we spend most of it chasing the almighty dollar? During my hectic days of working myself to the bone, I decided to go on a trip to Vermont to visit my friend.
During my trip I was a zombie. I had no energy and just wanted to sleep and decompress. My friend asked me if I wanted to go visit a friend of his somewhere in the middle of Maine. I agreed and off we went on our journey. I distinctly remember a point when my mobile phone no longer had service. I was truly disconnected from anyone being able to reach me.
I initially had a panic about the situation but was distracted with talking with my friend on the trip. We arrived at the home, and there were about 25 people at the home visiting. I remember sitting down on a chair in the living room at a house I’ve never been to, and the only person there that I knew was my friend. What seemed like minutes was four hours. I sat in this chair and felt this amazing sense of disconnect. It is so hard to describe the feeling, but I, at this moment, realized I was missing something in my life.
When I returned from the trip, I had a different sense of what I wanted with my life. I then realized how much I loved camping for this very reason. Have you ever noticed how everything is better camping? The food, the company, the air, being able to see the stars? I reminisce about my scouting adventures and how having a personal connection with others is something that we all need.
I look at children today and realize most of them will never understand what I’m talking about because having a social wedge with every aspect of their life is what is “normal” to them. What if we could disconnect to reconnect and re-learn what it feels like to really connect with others?
On the upside, the latest technology provides endless ways to connect. We can also reach more people than ever. The downside is that the way we communicate has also changed, challenging our ability to make meaningful connections.
This is where living the FLI LIFE™ comes into play. Having a FLI LIFE™ means that you have a fulfilling life, that you are liberated from the social pressures that inundate us every minute of our days and living a life of intention, a purpose. Attending this retreat will allow you to drop the social pressures that we have and slow down and reconnect with others that can relate to what you are going through. Life is too short for you NOT to know why you are here. Join us to not only disconnect from electronics but to learn what is important to you and your journey that we call LIFE.
