Are you distracting yourself from your own thoughts?
Hi ReaderWeek 2 of having my phone back on is going well, but it’s requiring a lot of one thing: Grace. I’ve realized I have to give it to myself. My "Invisible censor" is doing its job, but I’m still learning the timing. I’m finding myself lingering on YouTube thumbnails and titles a little longer than I should. The other day, I had to stop and ask myself: “Why are you doing this?” In the past, I would have told myself I failed and just kept scrolling. But my Digital Manifesto gives me a guardrail. It allows me to acknowledge the slip, give myself grace, and move on. It happened twice this week, and each time, I chose to just put the device down instead of spiraling into "doom-scrolling." The Sound of Your Own Voice Because I wasn't filling every gap with noise, I found myself doing some deep thinking today. I came across a quote from Warren Buffett, advising his kids to "Look for a job you’d take if you didn’t need a job." He actually pulled that from Ralph Waldo Emerson’s 1841 essay, Self-Reliance: “The power which resides in him is new in nature, and none but he knows what that is which he can do, nor does he know until he has tried.” In modern English it might say something like this. "There is a strength in you that is completely original. But it stays hidden until you stop thinking about it and start doing it." I sat with my journal and just let the thoughts flow. Here is the premise I landed on: We have to learn to listen to our own inside voice. As a believer, I’ve come to learn that this is the Holy Spirit. If we stay with a thought long enough, it leads to something profound. But many of us are afraid to sit and think. Deep thinking brings up things we don’t feel ready to face—so we deflect. We distract. We entertain ourselves into a stupor. I think the "scroll" is often an answer to a question we are afraid to ask: Why do I reach for this device even when I have things to do? What is this hold it has on me? My Challenge for You This Week If you are brave enough this week, try to enjoy the sound of your own voice. At first, you’ll hear a flood of everyone else’s thoughts—TikTok, Netflix, Reels, the last book you read. But once you get past the noise of what everyone else thinks, you start hearing what YOU really sound like. It is so good to be there. The Bible says, "Be still, and know that I am God" (Psalm 46:10). My push for you: Stay with the thought long enough to hear your voice... and His voice. Take 5–10 minutes to just sit still with yourself. No glow. No ping. No buzz. An Update on the Book I’m putting the finishing touches on the E-book. It’s been an incredible experience looking back at those 34 days in retrospect. My goal is to keep it a quick, impactful read (30 to 60 minutes), but compressing 30 days of lessons is a challenge! Pray for me as I wrap this up—I might even send you the first chapter later this week. Stay paced, Simplicity Elevated Fumi PB Do you have one burning question about my 34 days of silence? Just hit reply and ask. I want to make sure I answer it in the book. Have an awesome week. Stay focused on what God has put in your heart to do. The distraction is real, but He is closer than you think. Stay tuned for next week's "Pace Reports" an honest look at my journey to stay present in a world that wants us to rush. Let’s learn to be still, together. Who blessed you this week and how? A reply would bless my heart.
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