Thinkspiration Thursdays: Take a Technology Fast and Enjoy Nature

Turn off technology and take in the world around you. This photo was taken just two hours from the author's home in Santa Barbara, CA.

By Rachel & the thinkThin® team

Like you, we’re inspired by great thinkers from the past and present. So we thought we’d share their insight with you, reflect on its meaning and hear what you have to say. We believe that when it comes to living a full, healthy, happy life, it’s all about how you “think.”

“With innovation and technology, seems we have forgotten to cherish the true beauty the world has to offer.” – A.C. Van Cherub

What’s the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen? Really. Think about that for a moment. Was it something on your computer screen? Your TV? Your iPhone? Or was it something real, tangible, vivid and incredible? Chances are it was something in nature. Some of the most beautiful creations are not manmade. They are in our oceans, our mountains and our forests. They’re in the great outdoors.

Yet most of us spend more time with technology than nature. We’d rather watch Planet Earth than drive an hour from our homes and witness the real thing. Why is that? This year I decided to do something revolutionary, well maybe it’s not that big a deal, but it’s certainly not common. I disconnected my cable. And it was a blessing. The money I save every month is used for outdoor excursions. And I don’t miss it at all. In the hours between leaving the office and drifting off to sleep, I fill the “Primetime” television slot by heading to the farmer’s market and cooking up a made-up recipe or taking a walk to watch the sunset. I find that the less time I have with my television, my computer and my phone, the more time I have with nature and the people I love. And that, my friends, is time well spent.

It’s your turn! Tell us about a moment when you traded technology for nature and enter to win an eco-friendly thinkThin®water bottle and box of your favorite bars. Contest ends Friday morning at 9 a.m. PST.