How can six seconds change your day? Find out with Only Love Today by Rachel Macy Stafford
As someone who consistently speaks about responsible digital etiquette, there’s one area I sometimes neglect. Disconnecting. I will write about how unplugging from our beeps and rings are necessary to lead a healthy well-balanced life, but what about those moments you are missing in between the detachment from tech? Those small but important times you can’t get back.
For example, you’re waiting in a carpool line for your child to come out of the school door, most parents are glued to their screens, but have you thought about taking six seconds to look up and see their faces of anticipation when they come through those doors? These are minutes you will never get back.
“Perhaps you’ve never known how happy someone could be simply to see you.” ― Rachel Macy Stafford, Only Love Today
It was New York Times bestselling author Rachel Macy Stafford who reminded me in her new book, Only Love Today, that these small moments in life are priceless. One day, instead of staring at her cell phone screen and her to-do list, Rachel decided to simply watch her child exit the school doors. What made her heart melt was noticing her daughter’s eyes when she realized mom was not only waiting for her, but watching her. As she emerged from the school overjoyed, as Rachel explains, it was the first time she actually noticed how her child’s backpack bounced up and down as she was walking towards her. Small moments we all miss when we are busy with our screens and lives.
Only Love Today not only reminds you that these times in life are precious, it’s a book that will help you get through struggles, stress and when you need that boost of inspiration. It’s not your average daily reading book, on the contrary, no stress you may miss that day or two ―- this is a perfect gift of ‘hey, I’m here for you when you need me.’
“This journey is not about what happened yesterday; it is about the choices I make today.” - Rachel Macy Stafford, Only Love Today
It’s no mistake that Rachel is also the author of the New York Times bestselling book, Hands Free Mama (one of my personal favorites), which offered nine habits to overcoming distraction and living a better life. It’s not about giving up your gadgets, it about having healthier relationship with them and yourself.
Florida State University released a study about cell phone notifications and how they increase distraction from our lives:
“ Just receiving a notification on your cell phone can cause enough of a distraction to impair your ability to focus on a given task. The distraction is comparable to the effects seen when actually using a cell phone to make calls or send text messages. “
When Rachel speaks about those six seconds, we know it may sound easy but in reality if you look around at any given time, whether you are in the mall, walking in the park or even in a restaurant (where people should be engaging with each other), you will notice the tech-connection everywhere.
“The time I spend staring at screens, juggling agendas, and managing life’s endless duties takes an unseen toll. I must remember the healing power of eye contact, touch, and real consequences—the stuff that makes me happy to be alive.” - Rachel Macy Stafford, Only Love Today
I AM MY RESPONSE
Your online character is a reflection of who you are offline, is a mantra I share frequently with people. According to recent CareerBuilders Survey, sixty percent of employers will assess your online profile before interviewing you and forty-one percent of employers are likely not to hire you because of what they find on social media platforms. It’s imperative you are accountable for your digital persona and this includes how you respond to others online.
Only Love Today addresses how we are our responses. Although Rachel relates this to her offline life, the beauty of this book is you can bring it into areas of your life where it fits you. As someone that is proactive when it comes to online reputation and building empathy in a culture of cruelty online, our responses are key since they affect others and even ourselves.
“My responses are more than just words.They represent who I am, who I want to be, and how I will someday be remember.” - Rachel Macy Stafford, Only Love Today
“In challenging moments, kindness may not always be my first response. But when I do choose kindness, the issue resolves more quickly and peacefully.....”
Can you imagine if our online society decided to take six seconds before they posted?
Takeaway tips:
- Try disconnecting for six-second challenges. What new experiences will you have?
- Pause before you post your next response. How does it reflect you?
- Join the Hands Free Revolution on Facebook for more inspiration and tips.
- Order Only Love Today!
A book that is changing lives, six-seconds at a time.