PUBLISHER’S LETTER
When was the last time you were spontaneous? The last time you listened to your inner soul, an inner impulse? The last time you were happy and excited about something? The last time you said, “oh yeah,” and cut loose, having an impromptu good time with friends, family or even strangers?
Spontaneity calls for deviating from your set-in-stone daily routine and trying something new. It can be surprisingly fun—and healthy for the soul.
Too often we let a heavy workload or certain family duties hold us back. But if we are honest with ourselves and stop making excuses, I believe we can find our spontaneous spirit again.
For sure, your family will love it, especially if you are taking them on an adventure, whether it’s a shopping excursion or a spur-of-the-moment boat ride. However, be prepared, as you may encounter resistance from someone whose habit it is to plan ahead rather than act impulsively. I believe if you choose the right activity, you’ll find that people can be persuaded to join you.
No doubt, nowadays it can be a challenge, especially with our younger generation. A good example is the shopping excursion. Rather than hit the stores, to see, touch, try on or try out the merchandise, younger shoppers are more likely to just go online via one of their tech tools and order what they want. And sometimes without even asking themselves, “do I really have to have it?” After all, they can return it if it does not fulfill their expectations.
Yet, when you think about it, questions arise: Where is the respect toward these businesses that have sent you the product, and where is the real interaction with an expert who would guide you to find the right item? When you just hit a submit button, you’re not even receiving compliments from a salesperson as to how good you look in the new outfit or an explanation of how the item functions to help make your life easier.
We all know it’s almost effortless to shop online—you can even order food from supermarkets and restaurants—but as long as we are mobile and in good health, we really should get out and do things. In the world we live in, we run the risk of eventually losing our human connection with others, our social ability to interact, and our spontaneity.
Another scenario is the use of Wi-Fi when on vacation. How often do you spend hours searching for a signal so you can finally post a photo or comment? This is valuable time lost, which could have been better spent doing something spontaneous with your traveling companions, learning about your surroundings, or just having fun interacting with others instead of staring at a handheld device.
Life is too short for dull moments. If we just share our thoughts and try to be spontaneous, every day could be filled with so much more excitement.