Disconnect to connect. That was the lesson I learned this weekend.

I went golfing with my dad and brother late Saturday morning and found myself briefly on my phone on hole #7. After that, I powered it off and decided not to turn it back on until Monday.

Later that afternoon I attended my cousin’s wedding reception before going camping with Zeke, my three-year-old, that evening.

Then on Sunday, we went to a new church (we recently moved to Vineyard) and met new friends. We then went over to my aunt’s house for dinner.

Empathy

Before going to bed last night, Karli asked me why I was so quiet all weekend.

I talked about how excited my parents seemed to be about moving here, how in love Jd and Nathalia were at their wedding, how scared Zeke was about sleeping in the dark, how anxious James felt when he lost his job (the speaker on Sunday), and then how funny it was when Brad shot Julie with a salt gun on accident at dinner.

I realized that by being disconnected from the outside world, I was able to connect deeper with the people around me. I realized that I started to also feel the emotions the other people around me were having. For the first time in a long time, I became much more empathetic.

Daily Directive

My purpose in writing you every day is to help you be healthier. And recent research from Harvard has shown that your connection with others is the #1 variable associated with a long life.

Choose a day this week where you can power off your cell phone for 24-hours. When it comes time for that moment, pay attention to how others around you are feeling.

You’ll realize how easy it is to also feel those emotions.

Disconnect to connect.

Let me know how it goes.

Tyler