I recently started a 10-day media fast. I was focusing on only watching/listening to media that a 5-year-old would be comfortable with. I cut out all the violence, swearing, and angry politics. I was excited to see what it would do for me and my family. But to be honest it was really hard.
About four days into it I decided to take a cheat break and watch one of my guilty pleasure TV shows. I was stunned by how truly shocking the violence was, and the language grated. I felt traumatized! And that was after only four days. So, I jumped back on the bandwagon and recommitted to my media fast.
Commute
The next afternoon I was fighting my usual commute, but this time things felt different. I had been listening to the scriptures instead of the argumentative political talk radio. I found the drive felt peaceful. I saw nature and how beautiful everything was. And I felt like being nice to other drivers. They were even nice to me!
As I listened to the scriptures, they gave me ideas for helping my family. And what originally made me worry that I would fall asleep on the road became interesting. I have read the scriptures many times but listening to them is giving me a different perspective. The story structure stands out. And the peace it adds to my drive is such a welcome change.
Family
My husband has seen changes too. He is also trying this media fast. Which means he is at the kitchen table without the yelling political arguments in one ear. We have been having nice family conversations. Tonight, he told me that he felt our dinner communication needed improvement.
I laughed because a few years ago he told me he wanted only the executive summery of my day because he felt I was talking too much. I reminded him of this, and we both got a laugh realizing what a difference having the talking heads turned off has meant. We haven’t had as many good conversations in a long time.
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To be continued…
I’m going to keep you posted as my media fast continues. But I already know there are blessings I never expected waiting for us. I’m so grateful for this opportunity to change the direction my life has been going.
About Patty Sampson
Patty thrives on all things creative. You’ll often find her in the garden pretending she is a suburban farmer. She loves meeting new people, and is devoted to her friends and family. In her heart she is a Midwesterner even though life has moved her all over the country. She believes in “blooming where you’re planted” and has found purpose in every place she has been. She has a deep and abiding love for the Savior and the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And she loves editing LDS Blogs because it is a constant spiritual uplift. Not many people can say their job builds their witness of the Savior.
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