“Who is everywhere is nowhere. When a person spends all his time in foreign travel, he ends by having many acquaintances but no friends.” – Seneca
Not as much a judgement of travel as it was a guide to focus one’s efforts. In the times we live in this could not be more true. We have the internet in our pockets. Look around yourself at the grocery store or the next time you use public transportation. See how many of us are using technology to reach out to our friends. Then when people reach out to us using the same means we would be wise to remember, these are not important messages. No, these are notes from bored friends.
Rather to use that time and technology to make ourselves a little better. To push ourselves along the path. The same device we use to reach out to our friends when we are bored can store books, it can teach us languages, or accounting. In the time it takes us to send a message or check in on social media we could read two or three pages of a book or learn a new phrase. Imagine what a year of this could bring us.
We would all do well to choose a subject we need to improve in and dedicate 12 weeks to focusing on that rather than being distracted. See what we can accomplish and decide whether to continue or to return to our previous ways.
virtus fortis vocat