It only took a few days into my social media fast to feel the return of my eyesight. Without endless scrolling, I had a significant reduction in the amount of images and information going into my brain. My focus returned. I began to see the world around me with deeper vision.

It was like I had been driving at 80 mph on the freeway, traveling far but so fast that all I saw was a blur. When I got off the social media speedway, I traveled slower and took in so much more. I saw the lime green spring grasses fill in the dead spots on the sides of the road. I smelled the orange tree blossoms as I strolled the neighborhood. When I communicated, I heard the words and felt the vibration of the message. Within, I began to have my own thoughts and realizations and felt like my conversations resonated with the fruits of my contemplation. Somehow I felt the power of my own dignity and that recognized the dignity of others.

I was baptized in the waters of clarity, abandoning my old life as consumer and stepping into the world of creator.  Removing the minutiae from my mind helped me to see the size of the rocks in my life.

Most people have witnessed the demonstration of how to build a good life. There are two vases and many rocks. The big rocks symbolize the important parts of life— family, faith, work, education, health. The medium and littler rocks represent the smaller aspects of life— video games, shopping and fashion, sending out greeting cards. In one vase, you put the big rocks in first, then the small rocks fill in the spaces around. In the other vase, you put the small rocks in first and quickly realize that the big rocks don’t fit. It is a poignant demonstration of how to properly order one’s life. Put the big rocks in first!

Without Facebook and Instagram, I was inspired to do a lot less crafts and the shopping that goes with them. I cared a lot less about fashion and picturesque homes. I ceased to view the events of my life as content for my social status. I stopped wondering how I compared to others and who I impressed or offended. I started reading books to find titillating quotes and inspirational ideas.

My life started to have a lot less little rocks. With smaller concerns dwindling into the background, the big rocks got even bigger. I went from a life with stones and pebbles to a life with boulders, staggering in size, heavy in anchor, and with a gravitational pull that sucked so much goodness toward me. What was important to me became much clearer as I stabilized from the whiplash of disorganized content.

I started shedding other small rocks by decluttering my home and losing weight. I realized that when the small rocks are gone, the vase is full of circulating air. That meant I had a less packed schedule. I had time to engage with people around me, to do a good deed, to think about others, to laugh and crack jokes, to give compliments, be silly, and make others smile. I had discovered a deeper, powerful pace of grace.

I am far from living a tech free life!  I love my YouTube channels, a good Pinterest search, and sending and receiving Marco Polos with treasured friends. But now I engage with these portals with an intentional focus, as an accessory or enhancement to the large lovely boulders in my vase.

For the record, I deleted the apps off my phone, but left the profiles up and active. I still had access to them on my laptop. As many groups are organized through social media, I did have to access information on the platforms a few times throughout the year. But when I did, I quickly accessed what I needed and left. Never scrolled, never posted. As I knew complete disengagement would not be possible in this modern life, I did not publicly advertise my experiment.

In all honesty, I felt a lame superiority for a while. But when I discovered the deep satisfaction of a growing attention span and emotional connection, I was no longer tempted to jeopardize it. I felt like I had a superpower.

I started my fast on January 1, but maybe you can experiment with reducing the small rocks in your life at the beginning of the next month, season, or school year. Have you explored the rocks in your own life?  Are the important things big enough or have smaller priorities taken over (ahem, kid sports)?  What smaller rocks need to disappear completely?  Are you not curious about what goodness, what adventure awaits you in the vacuum?