Contemplation Challenge and Reflection Essays -

Contemplation Challenge and Reflection Fasting from social media gave me a lot more time to make meaningful interactions that were in person, and also gave me more time to prioritize studying and time with my family. Social media also tends to bring me down, feeling excluded from hanging out with my other friends who are having a good time. Being removed from that environment helped me put first the people in front of me, and allowed me not to focus on what I was missing out on. It's a little bit personal, but I also decided to fast from looking at the scale in my bathroom, because lately I have been over obsessing about my weight, since I have been concerned about how much weight I've lost since starting university, as I am so busy I often forget to eat. Rather than focussing on the number on the scale, I was able to make sure I was eating healthy and taking care of myself, and not letting that number dictate if I was doing a good enough job. Spiritually this fast allowed me to replace the time I would normally spend on social media to talk to God more often, to include him in my daily struggles and questions I would normally ask a friend or my sister. I found myself in much more constant communication with the Lord this week. As I spent 10 minutes in silence every day, I could use this time to pray and journal to God, as this week has especially been a week of big decisions that have required his wisdom and strength, and I have run to him for comfort many times this week during this time. I have also spent more time worshipping to the Lord with my guitar, even though it is not technically silence, it really helped me refocus where my focus was. Was it on doing so much homework that my head hurt so I could get good grades, or was it focusing on the God who made all of this possible, and who I am really getting my degree for. I did not spend as much time compartmentalizing my stressors, as thinking about everything that makes me stressed out does not help me, but makes me think about my stress even more. Rather, I was able to ask God what he wanted me to do that day, because he knows what I can handle, and what he asks of me is usually less than what I would normally try to achieve in one day. This resulted in more time to rest, and surprisingly, all of my work still got done well ahead of time. These were both very good challenges for me to realize my priorities and actually make time for them. It made my week more restful, healthy and positive.