Thank you, Laura, for sharing yourselves with us. I feel like I'm finally getting a chance to *know* you deeper, and that's a beautiful, intimate thing.
I think us introverts need depth!
"Sometimes, I wonder if people like me, deeply introverted and attuned, are even built for this level of interaction. Although I’ve appreciated many of the people I’ve connected with online, opening my phone to an endless stream of content and reactions, across several platforms, can feel like a kind of digital sadism for someone who craves one deep, spacious conversation over dozens of disjointed, surface-level ones."
Thank you for putting this so beautifully into words. I just can't 'do' social media much at all anymore. I don't scroll, barely follow anyone and need that silence that you speak of - what gold it is in a world filled with information overload! I've been really thinking about that balance of input vs output lately...the amount of input coming in for most people is WAY overconsumption and no digestion. No integration, and no application of any of the knowledge they seek. It's an addiction.
I love how you write and am so happy you have found a space that sits much better for you on all levels 🙏
Same. At first, I had to lock myself out of the apps because I was so hooked, but now, naturally, I hardly want to be on there. Looks like we are both leaning into the 12th house vibes. And yes, coffee is definitely the matrix drug of choice, keeps us locked in and running in the hamster wheel instead of slowing down. I'm so glad you're here, too!
Thank you Laura. You spoke directly to my heart and soul. I am percolating on “I’d rather be bored than overstimulated.” I think we have been conditioned out of “bored” as if it’s something to fear now. But yes, once we can settle into “boredom,” it truly feels like peace.
Thank you. So much of this reflects my own experience. I have the luxury of being bored many days now, yet I don't take full advantage. Something about taking all that time to rest and be at preace makes me feel guilty. Yet it's such a potent place to BE, especially these days. Thank you for sharing your exploration of life away from the unnecessary (self inflicted) chaos...I do believe it's time for me to drop in to what's alive in front of me, inside of me and let go of the noise, excitement, addiction to news and media and music, podcasts, etc. I imagine living outside of the city brings on a more sustained "quietude" and I long to live somewhere deeper in nature. But I know it's possible to find peace even here.
Just yesterday I came across this poem (Someone posted David Whyte reciting it on Instagram) and it's fitting I think. One might use the word chaos in place of lost.😉
Lost
Stand still. The trees ahead and bushes beside you
Are not lost. Wherever you are is called Here,
And you must treat it as a powerful stranger,
Must ask permission to know it and be known.
The forest breathes. Listen. It answers,
I have made this place around you.
If you leave it, you may come back again, saying Here.
No two trees are the same to Raven.
No two branches are the same to Wren.
If what a tree or a bush does is lost on you,
You are surely lost. Stand still. The forest knows
Wow, the poem brought tears to my eyes — thank you for sharing this. And yes, while peace seems easier to access in the forest, it can absolutely be found in the city as well as it seems to emerge from within that quiet place within our own being.
“Sometimes, I wonder if people like me, deeply introverted and attuned, are even built for this level of interaction. Although I’ve appreciated many of the people I’ve connected with online, opening my phone to an endless stream of content and reactions, across several platforms, can feel like a kind of digital sadism for someone who craves one deep, spacious conversation over dozens of disjointed, surface-level ones.”
Love this! Very relatable. Very good article. Thanks!
Laura, there is such honesty and such a direct communication. Thank you for the work you're doing. I'm doing quite some myself, and I see overlaps I suppose I'd refer to it as. The way you separated various thoughts into sections. Yeah, beautiful job. My response is so personal that it's not easy to put it into a few sentences, but that's what I tried to do.
The line about digital sadism is so poignant. You'd never know from my online presence that I am actually a highly sensitive introvert. I spent so many years softening and undoing my defenses, only to find that I need to relearn and fortify them when I became active on social media. Best to you in your quieter time!
Having taken extended journeys when I was younger, I know from experience that it can take about two weeks of “boredom”, or a settling in to relaxation within quiet spaces to get truly
comfortable.
Recently we took an almost two week family vacation. It felt luxurious. Near the end of the trip I was realizing how well I had acclimated to not needing to be doing. I was happy to do things, but they needn’t be done, yet serendipitously the things to do seemed the best option at the perfect time. Maybe it takes time to reaffirm the need to make time? We all deserve a fat stack of moments.
I love vacations like that, that bring us back to being instead of doing. It's like a reset for the soul. You reminded me how much I could use one. Thank you so much for reading and this little insight and reminder.
Reverance for your commitment to shift into deeper substance. I feel you more already on this platform and have both followed you and Bernhard since 2020 as well as participating in a soul embodiment program. It's a gift and a pleasure to experience your expression here Laura. Much love and gratitude.🙏❤️
I am so happy to be reading your long form writing. Thank you for continuing to share yourself. I relate to so much of this as I disentangle myself from the modern web of cortisol spikes and rushing from this to that 🙏
Your story is very similar to my own in every aspect. I appreciate your honesty. I agree with the dream work also. I am working with lucid dreaming . Thanks for the story💕
Learning how to interpret my own dreams has been better than any therapy. Glad to see you writing long-form. I follow you on twitter, but was always left with wanting to read more. Your passion for writing is evident.
Absolutely amazing Laura. Thank you. The one part that really landed for me, although they all did, is in alignment with where I currently am at. You talk about a familiar frequency and having peace. I find wisdom in your explanation from the viewpoint of embodiment. I have come to understand in order to "live" life consciously and with true awareness we must embody that which we seek through how we move through this incarnation. What I saw in your experience was just that. What a beautiful gift you gave to yourself and to the world. Much love and look forward to your next amazing share.
This felt like reading a more cohesive and clearly thought out version of what has been swimming in my head for the last year. Thank you.
Thank you for saying this. It means a lot and I hoped certain kindred souls would get that vibe from it!
Thank you, Laura, for sharing yourselves with us. I feel like I'm finally getting a chance to *know* you deeper, and that's a beautiful, intimate thing.
I think us introverts need depth!
"Sometimes, I wonder if people like me, deeply introverted and attuned, are even built for this level of interaction. Although I’ve appreciated many of the people I’ve connected with online, opening my phone to an endless stream of content and reactions, across several platforms, can feel like a kind of digital sadism for someone who craves one deep, spacious conversation over dozens of disjointed, surface-level ones."
Thank you for putting this so beautifully into words. I just can't 'do' social media much at all anymore. I don't scroll, barely follow anyone and need that silence that you speak of - what gold it is in a world filled with information overload! I've been really thinking about that balance of input vs output lately...the amount of input coming in for most people is WAY overconsumption and no digestion. No integration, and no application of any of the knowledge they seek. It's an addiction.
I love how you write and am so happy you have found a space that sits much better for you on all levels 🙏
P.S. Love what you say about coffee. On my feisty days, I call it the ‘matrix control drug’ keeping us on the hamster wheel.
Same. At first, I had to lock myself out of the apps because I was so hooked, but now, naturally, I hardly want to be on there. Looks like we are both leaning into the 12th house vibes. And yes, coffee is definitely the matrix drug of choice, keeps us locked in and running in the hamster wheel instead of slowing down. I'm so glad you're here, too!
I can feel you entering a whole new vibe that is actually so beautiful to witness ❤️🔥
It is. Thank you, I feel seen.
Thank you Laura. You spoke directly to my heart and soul. I am percolating on “I’d rather be bored than overstimulated.” I think we have been conditioned out of “bored” as if it’s something to fear now. But yes, once we can settle into “boredom,” it truly feels like peace.
It's true, boredom doesn't sound boring at all anymore but like a rare heaven these days.
Thank you. So much of this reflects my own experience. I have the luxury of being bored many days now, yet I don't take full advantage. Something about taking all that time to rest and be at preace makes me feel guilty. Yet it's such a potent place to BE, especially these days. Thank you for sharing your exploration of life away from the unnecessary (self inflicted) chaos...I do believe it's time for me to drop in to what's alive in front of me, inside of me and let go of the noise, excitement, addiction to news and media and music, podcasts, etc. I imagine living outside of the city brings on a more sustained "quietude" and I long to live somewhere deeper in nature. But I know it's possible to find peace even here.
Just yesterday I came across this poem (Someone posted David Whyte reciting it on Instagram) and it's fitting I think. One might use the word chaos in place of lost.😉
Lost
Stand still. The trees ahead and bushes beside you
Are not lost. Wherever you are is called Here,
And you must treat it as a powerful stranger,
Must ask permission to know it and be known.
The forest breathes. Listen. It answers,
I have made this place around you.
If you leave it, you may come back again, saying Here.
No two trees are the same to Raven.
No two branches are the same to Wren.
If what a tree or a bush does is lost on you,
You are surely lost. Stand still. The forest knows
Where you are. You must let it find you.
-- David Wagoner
(1999)
Wow, the poem brought tears to my eyes — thank you for sharing this. And yes, while peace seems easier to access in the forest, it can absolutely be found in the city as well as it seems to emerge from within that quiet place within our own being.
“Sometimes, I wonder if people like me, deeply introverted and attuned, are even built for this level of interaction. Although I’ve appreciated many of the people I’ve connected with online, opening my phone to an endless stream of content and reactions, across several platforms, can feel like a kind of digital sadism for someone who craves one deep, spacious conversation over dozens of disjointed, surface-level ones.”
Love this! Very relatable. Very good article. Thanks!
Thank you for reading, I'm glad you found it relatable!
Laura, there is such honesty and such a direct communication. Thank you for the work you're doing. I'm doing quite some myself, and I see overlaps I suppose I'd refer to it as. The way you separated various thoughts into sections. Yeah, beautiful job. My response is so personal that it's not easy to put it into a few sentences, but that's what I tried to do.
The line about digital sadism is so poignant. You'd never know from my online presence that I am actually a highly sensitive introvert. I spent so many years softening and undoing my defenses, only to find that I need to relearn and fortify them when I became active on social media. Best to you in your quieter time!
Really enjoy your writing. Thank you!
Thank you for reading!
Having taken extended journeys when I was younger, I know from experience that it can take about two weeks of “boredom”, or a settling in to relaxation within quiet spaces to get truly
comfortable.
Recently we took an almost two week family vacation. It felt luxurious. Near the end of the trip I was realizing how well I had acclimated to not needing to be doing. I was happy to do things, but they needn’t be done, yet serendipitously the things to do seemed the best option at the perfect time. Maybe it takes time to reaffirm the need to make time? We all deserve a fat stack of moments.
Thanks, Laura!
I love vacations like that, that bring us back to being instead of doing. It's like a reset for the soul. You reminded me how much I could use one. Thank you so much for reading and this little insight and reminder.
Reverance for your commitment to shift into deeper substance. I feel you more already on this platform and have both followed you and Bernhard since 2020 as well as participating in a soul embodiment program. It's a gift and a pleasure to experience your expression here Laura. Much love and gratitude.🙏❤️
Great to see you here too, Julie! Bernhard will be joining Substack soon as well!
Thank you so much Laura, I very much enjoy reading your writing. It's peaceful and calming just reading your words. xoxo
Thank you for reading, Kate, and being here!
I am so happy to be reading your long form writing. Thank you for continuing to share yourself. I relate to so much of this as I disentangle myself from the modern web of cortisol spikes and rushing from this to that 🙏
Thank you so much for reading and being here!
Your story is very similar to my own in every aspect. I appreciate your honesty. I agree with the dream work also. I am working with lucid dreaming . Thanks for the story💕
I'm so glad to hear it resonated. Thank you for reading.
Learning how to interpret my own dreams has been better than any therapy. Glad to see you writing long-form. I follow you on twitter, but was always left with wanting to read more. Your passion for writing is evident.
I agree, it's a direct link to the soul! This will be the place to hear more. Thanks for being here, too!
Absolutely amazing Laura. Thank you. The one part that really landed for me, although they all did, is in alignment with where I currently am at. You talk about a familiar frequency and having peace. I find wisdom in your explanation from the viewpoint of embodiment. I have come to understand in order to "live" life consciously and with true awareness we must embody that which we seek through how we move through this incarnation. What I saw in your experience was just that. What a beautiful gift you gave to yourself and to the world. Much love and look forward to your next amazing share.
Thank you so much for this thoughtful comment and for taking the time to read!