“The perception of what is small is (the secret of clear- sightedness; the guarding of what is soft and tender is (the secret of) strength.”

―Lao Tzu,Tao Te Ching

Regardless of age, we are all guilty of , at some point, tuned to our devices when we want to escape from the reality of the world. When we are tired, hungry, angry, feeling lost, sick, fearful, anxious or bored.

Humans tend to avoid uncomfortable feelings, maybe because we learned when we were younger to suppress them, to not talk about fear, shame, anger and pain, consequently, for many, the smartphone has become the tool in which we lose ourselves. 

We deny our own needs, ignore our feelings and communication, which can lead to depression, low energy, digestion problems, pain in our body, distrust in others and ourselves. 

With enough practice, suppression leads to shutting down, to hiding, to not voicing our thoughts and needs.

Finding ourselves scrolling mindlessly through social media as we numb ourselves from our perceived reality is very common. 

When we don’t have access to our phones it makes us feel lost and anxious. When we are bored we reach for the phone to find something to do, to keep us entertained. 

However, its that distraction that keeps us from connecting to the world as it is, and from living with our feelings, how we respond to others, how we understand and voice our feelings. 

Mindfulness is the practice of being fully present, engaged in the current moment. It can involve awareness of the breathing, listening to sounds around us, orienting to the environment we are in. 

Immersing our minds in the unlearning, a daily practice of self awareness, of being with ourselves as we are, using our cameras to document how we are feeling and interacting with the world as we think we see it.

Seeing with no labels is a challenge, and with practice, a challenge that can change how we perceive ourselves and the world.

Mel Collie