Reading this won’t change your life.
But perhaps you’ll notice the sunset.
How many times a day do you read something online and think “this might change my life?”
Perhaps that’s a little drastic.
How many times a day do you read something online and think “huh, if I try that, perhaps I’ll be happier, healthier or more productive? Perhaps my business will grow?”
How often do we bookmark those articles or videos, never to return again?
Just this morning, the Internet (I say that as though it’s alive) had me wondering if I could successfully commit to swimming twice a week; writing for 15 minutes every day; mastering a third language; giving up alcohol for a month or even living without the Internet entirely.
There’s so much noise online. Some of it is great. Some of it is junk.
With all this noise, I’m pleased that I have my own version of Monk Day.
My version is a little different. It’s not Wednesday. It’s 25 blissful hours that begin at sun-down every Friday night. For 25 hours, there are no phones, no tweets, and no texts. I don’t drive, I don’t use money or watch TV.
It’s Shabbat. The Jewish Sabbath.
In today’s always-on world, the Sabbath gives me so much more than ritual. It forces me to be present. It brings me to the dinner table with friends and family. Neighbors stop by, kids play in the back yard together.
We take family walks and stop to watch the sun set. Without thinking of Instagram.
How often do we miss the things going on around us or ignore the people in the same room as us because we’re connecting with someone somewhere else?
Not on the Sabbath.
For an entire day, every single week, I get to share my life with the most intimate of social networks. The people in my presence. When the sun sets on Saturday night, I’m don’t find myself rushing back to my phone either. I enjoy the reset.
My ritual reset.
I read a lot today. Some of it was lofty and inspiring. Some of it was brutally honest. Those are the posts that stand out.
It’s the honesty of good content that inspired me to write today.
I’d like to think that I will start swimming. I suspect I can find 15 minutes a day to write something, and right now, I’ll leave the third language on the back burner.
But there’s one thing I know for sure.
My ritual reset, Dave’s Monk Day. There’s real value right there.
This post was inspired by a number of posts by Dave Craige. I enjoy his work so naturally I think you will too.
My name is Yosef. I like to write, drink red wine and share a unique perspective on kosher cooking. I also like it when people say hello on Twitter and would love to hear about your #RitualReset.
