The psychologist Linda Henkel tested this and found we externalise things rather than internalise and think about them. We allow the job of a device to remember something for us rather than breathe it in and allow it be part of our memory, our ‘good old’ days. The scary truth is that we remember less about something when we record it on our iPhones.
Staying present in the moment is counterintuitive in the world we live in but it’s worth it
We all hear the saying it wasn’t like this in the ‘good old’ days. “I wish there was a way to know you were in the good old days before you have actually left them” – The fictional character Andy Bernard in the office said this but it is truly profound.
Good old days are the times when we look back and we really liked ourselves. Time’s like school where they were an incubator for foolishness, curiousness, vulnerability and debates over a vast array of subjects. The foolish diversions are the real nectar of life and contribute to who we are. These are often the times when we are truly present away from our distractions, our devices where we can value relationships, scenery and the very core of our existence.
Take time to make more good old days for yourself.
