Satisfaction — personally and professionally — comes from using your abilities. Participation is how people use their time wisely to access their own potential. Wasted potential isn’t a tragedy; it’s a choice.
I planned to write about striving to use your full potential, especially at work. But last Thursday the
internet at our home in the mountains went down and stayed down for nearly five days. No Wi‑Fi. No cell service. Essentially off the grid. We didn’t realize how deeply our habits were wired into constant connectivity until it disappeared.
AOL launched in 1985. The first iPhone arrived in 2007. Decades later, we’re creatures of the digital
routines we’ve built — weather updates, online payments, email, news, notifications. None of it was at our fingertips the last 5 days unless we drove miles to find a signal. It felt like going cold turkey. A digital detox. And let’s be honest: it’s not just how we live… it’s an addiction.
By day three, something shifted. Real cards vs. screens. Walks vs. surfing. Conversations vs. notifications. The noise fell away, and presence returned.
By yesterday morning, getting updates every few hours instead of every few seconds felt normal. And
we began noticing all the things we love — or could accomplish — if we redirected even a fraction of our online energy toward fulfilling activities. Toward the things that actually give us joy.
I’ve been away from a traditional workplace for years, but I remember the old rules about not using
cell phones while working. That discipline created space to get meaningful things done. After these last five days, I find myself longing for that again. And it seems the only way to reclaim it is to put away our devices during the dedicated times when we’re living our lives.
It’s ironic: we lived the way schools and workplaces expect us to behave when we’re in theirs. I’m
not sure I would have understood the value of that discipline without the forced withdrawal of the past five days. But I’m grateful for it.
So consider setting a few personal digital guidelines — even simple ones — and use that reclaimed
time to participate more fully in your own life. Your potential is waiting for you to show up today.
William Schutz (1925 – 2002): American psychologist.[1]
[1] In 1958, Schutz introduced a theory of interpersonal relations he called Fundamental Interpersonal Relations Orientation (FIRO). According to the theory three dimensions of interpersonal relations were deemed to be necessary and sufficient to explain most human interaction: Inclusion, Control and Affection. These dimensions have been used to assess group dynamics.
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