My hubby Nelson shared an insight he had over the weekend while he was out shooting photographs on the Blue Ridge Parkway.
His class was focused on sunrises, sunsets, and macro photography of flowers. And I guess while he was shooting, something about the flowers reminded him of a spider web.
This thinking of about spider webs led his wonderful brain to think about the world wide web and how it acts as a sort of spider web.
His line of thinking was profound to me: just as the purpose of spider web is to catch food for the spider, so the world wide web captures us.
And if my clients and friends and myself are any indication, getting stuck in the world wide web is easy, isn’t it?
How many times have you gone online to check something and looked up 45 minutes and 13 tabs later wondering what was going on?
You’re trapped in the web!
This led me to do a little research and I pondered, “Are there any insects that cannot get trapped in a spider web?” Turns out, this led me to an article that describes how spiders avoid getting trapped in their own webs!
And THIS bit of information is important for us!
First, here are three things I learned:
- Spiders make light contact with the web. They use just the tips of their feet to walk across the web
- Grooming is important! Spiders will regularly clean any extra bits of web silk or other debris off their legs so they don’t accumulate and cause “stuckage” (yes, I just made up that word).
- The whole entire web isn’t sticky – the spiral threads ARE but the spokes of the web and the center (where the spider rests) are not!
“So, how is this important to me?” you’re wondering…
I’m so glad you asked! Check it out…
- If you make light contact with the internet (the web), you can avoid accidentally getting stuck and sucked into mindless surfing!
- Be present to how you feel while you’re surfing the web. If you start to feel yucky because you’ve somehow landed on TMZ or some Joan Rivers crap or (gasp!) you start watching some “Real Housewives” shenanigans, close your browser(s) immediately. Proceed to the bath, use lavender to cleanse your aura and go do some volunteer work for the community. And don’t surf mindlessly again. Ick!
- Finally, if the spokes of the web aren’t sticky, this gives me the image that using the internet deliberately – meaning searching for something specific and then walking away – will keep you from getting trapped. Quickly in, focus, easily out.
Am I spinning this analogy too much?
Probably!
But it’s working for me.
When Nelson and I talked about this, he said, “You know the point of the web is for the spider to catch food. The insect – the food – is killed and eaten by the spider. Getting caught up in the internet feels like that sometimes.”
His advice? Instead of mindless web surfing, go outside. Look closely at the trees, the flowers, and the flowing streams. Hell, go find a REAL spider web and be in AWE of what an amazing creation it is. And understand it’s also a warning to tread lightly in this world, lest you become entangled in something you didn’t plan for!
Angie
P.S. Last week, I introduced you to some friends of mine who are doing a giveaway. I wrote a little eBook (Simplify Your Day: The Ultimate Guide to Clearing the Clutter, Cutting the Noise, and Cleaning Off Your To-Do List ) and included it as part of this fun! If you’re interested, I hope you’ll check out the whole she-bang of giveaways from my friends Jen & Kyleigh.
Claim Your Next Chapter Giveaway: http://claimyournextchapter.com/