There is something fundamentally wrong with the internet. Now that may not be a revolutionary statement. But I’m not talking about the addictive side or the exposure to worthless and average things. It’s all the photos. From Facebook to Twitter, I think we forget these images are but a sliver of life; a small, one-dimensional representation of living, and it’s usually someone else doing it.
With all the daily images our brains have to process, I think it can be abnormally overwhelming. Not that it necessarily makes us crazy, but it may make us lazy. Lazy enough to not get out there and live beyond the photos.
Travel photos are a good example. As important as travel photos are to plan trips or enjoy viewing with family and friends, don’t be lulled into thinking this is anything close to reality. I fear the more we’re inundated with the images of things that make us say “wow” or used to make us say it, could lessen our desire to actually live the wow out there in the world. And there is an infinite supply.
Maybe we stopped saying “wow” to anything years ago. Maybe whatever has happened in our lives has sucked the wow factor out of it. It shouldn’t be that way. Or maybe just the routine of life keeps us from seeking to be wowed. Maybe we don’t think being wowed is that important. If so, wow. That’s a shame.
As a new travel consultant in training with Expedia Cruises, I have access to so many resources that make me want to say, “wow.” But I know the stories I hear from clients and with all the cool brochures and travel videos, it can never come close to the level of wow that actually living it can.
So my encouragement to you is to never feel guilty about wanting to break your routine to be wowed. Maybe you don’t know how to be wowed and live true wowsomeness. To be honest, I had to train myself, to break free from the average, the banality, the routine … the ignorance, and accept that I had overlooked and failed to seek the wow the world has to offer.
Do this brief exercise. Click the audio button below. Close your eyes, and let your imagination kick in.
What did you see? A tropical island. An exotic port? Did you feel the warm sun blanketing your body, the sand between your toes, the remarkably fresh ocean breeze with a tinge of saltiness? Maybe you saw a tall glass of lemonade in your hand while lounging in a straw hat.
You get my point. Live life. There is so much wow out there, you will not ever be able to experience it all. But why not start? Why not try?
If you have to beg, borrow, and … don’t steal, to get you some wowness going on then do so. You deserve it. We all need it. And can you really ever have enough?
And if you need some inspiration, some motivation to begin your journey to or back to the wow factor of life, visit the Success Page from the motivational side of Mad Mad News. We all need a reboot from time to time. I think maybe even daily.
Remember. Young or old, rich or poor, it’s never too late by putting some kapowee back into your wowee.
So, since life is short. Live tall!