9 Days Without a Phone, Computer, Internet, or Even a Watch...

July 24, 2019

Nine days without a phone, a computer, the internet, or even a watch...
And… I want to tell you — it was absolutely amazing.

When it came time to hand in my watch, I hesitated for a moment. Since mine had a screen, I thought — well, fine, I’ll hand it in too.
I remembered Katie’s words: “It’s just nine days!”

The next morning, I noticed a few people still wearing watches just like mine — they hadn’t turned them in. I felt a little regret and thought about getting mine back.
But deep down, I really wanted to free myself even from my watch. I was curious to see how I’d manage.

So I went to the assistant to ask for it back, and instead of returning my watch, she handed me a piece of paper that said:

“What are you afraid will happen without your item?
Make a list and investigate each one.” 😆

I burst out laughing — what a brilliant joke! 😆

So I followed the simple instructions and made my list.
My biggest fear was that I would lose my sense of orientation without a watch.
When I turned the question around, this was the answer I received:

Without a watch, I would find my orientation.

And that’s exactly what happened.
I found orientation within myself...
In my inner sense of timing...
In my connection with people — for example, each time I wanted to know what time it was.

This little experiment took me even further and led me to do things I never imagined I’d do. I still laugh when I think about it! 😅😅

Imagine this: you’re walking down the street, in silence, and you see someone ahead wearing a watch on their wrist. You’re curious what time it is. You walk up to them, gently touch their wrist, look at the time, smile with gratitude, and continue walking — not a single word.

Now, imagine the opposite scenario 😅😅
You’re walking down the street, and suddenly some “strange” silent person approaches you and touches your wrist — you jump, thinking they’re trying to steal something! But then you realize they just wanted to check the time — and with relief, you smile back, realizing their intentions were harmless.

I got so carried away with this practice that even when I already knew the time, I still approached the next person and checked their watch. 😆😆😆

If I felt awkward, I’d remind myself of Katie’s words:
“It’s just nine days!”

So for those nine days, I kept challenging myself to try things I’d never done before...
And after nine days, I could go back to being a “normal” person again. 😄

Although, I discovered something — you never really go back to being who you were.
Something changes inside you.
You begin to see and feel things differently.
You can’t quite explain what happened — but something has shifted.

During those nine days, instead of scrolling through Facebook or Instagram, I found myself watching the sky, the trees, the grass, the flowers, the birds, the river and its endless flow... noticing how the first morning rays of sunlight touched the water, turning it into liquid gold...

I observed my breath, the sensations in my body...
I investigated false thoughts and beliefs that had made my life harder...
I made deep connections with people...
I listened — not to reply, but to really listen.
I spoke little. I listened much.
I listened inside myself.

Now I’m sitting on the train again — this time traveling from Bad Neuham back to Cologne.

Two weeks ago, on this very same route, I was filled with anticipation — heading from Cologne to Bad Neuham, eager for the start The School for The Work of Byron Katie and to meet Katie herself.

How amazing... it feels like a century has passed...
As if time itself stopped.

So much has happened. So much I’ve experienced.

I feel gratitude, joy, lightness, freedom, and openness —
toward the world, toward people, toward life itself...

Two weeks later, life is still the same.
Reality is still the same.
But I am different.
I look at it all with new eyes.

And that... is beautiful.

🙏🏻☀️🌿🌺🌳🦋✨