You see this photo? Nice, isn't it?

According to my phone, I took it on Thursday July 7, 2022 at 9:48PM at coordinates 47.36998° N, 8.54224° E.

Despite being able to tell you quite literally exactly when and where I was standing, I don’t remember anything from this photo.

I've been doing a weekly live event with Bri Miller on Instagram (the next one is Friday, August 22nd at 3 PM EST… watch it here!) where we are discussing how to approach our relationship with technology in a pragmatic and mindful way. During Friday's live, we were comparing the ideas of authenticity and aesthetics as it pertains to technology; what it looks like to honor your values (your authenticity) through your presentation on social media (aesthetics).

Somewhere in the wonderful conversation (you can watch the full episode here), we landed on exploring how technology often has become a filter for our experience.

Think about it: Think back to the last concert/live event you went to where someone was performing. How many people are holding up their phones to record the show at a concert? Go to literally any place frankly where there is some sort of “view” to be seen, especially in nature. How many people are frantically capturing 500 photos from 13 different angles and asking strangers to take their picture at the Grand Canyon?

It used to drive me nuts during concerts when I'd turn around to face the audience and there were parents recording the whole thing on their phone, watching the screen more than the actual performance. On the one hand, I get it. Now that we have capable technology, we feel the need to capture every single moment, especially of our baby girl's senior concert. Parents even get upset when they bungle the video and fail to capture the moment!

I can't help but wonder: is the desperate need to document our lives causing us to miss out on living them?

It goes like this:

You've got to get the right seat.
You've got to get the best spot to see whatever it is, whether it is Old Faithful or your favorite artist in concert or your granddaughter's kindergarten "graduation."

Gotta make sure the phone is charged.
Gotta make sure you have the phone ready at the right time.
Gotta make sure you choose video instead of photo.

Make sure to hold the phone as high as possible and obstruct everyone else's view.
Center on your subject or look around to find someone to take a picture of you.
Press record or click the shutter.
Hold the camera steady.

Gotta make sure you turn the flash on (even though literally everybody should know at this point that you don't take pictures with flash like…ever.)

Okay maybe not that last one, but whew. That list was exhausting just to write.

Guess what you forgot?

To actually watch the damn thing. To experience the thing.

What good is a good photo if you never took a snapshot in your mind?

Your one opportunity to actually see your favorite band in concert or look at that mountain or see your baby walk across the stage - you missed. You missed seeing it with your very real eyeballs, choosing instead to watch it through a 5-inch screen. And now, all you're left with is a blurry photo and grainy video where you can't understand any of the sound. But oh boy, at least you have it in your files (eye roll).

Why do we spend more time capturing the moment than being captivated?

I'm guilty of it - we all are! It's nothing to be ashamed of, but it is something to be mindful of.

I distinctly remember looking at that photo and not remembering how it felt to be there. I don't remember what the air smelled like or what conversations were humming in the background. I didn't remember marveling in awe or even what I felt when I was taking it. It's like I wasn't even there.

Because I wasn't.

Maybe physically, sure, but not fully present and engaged with the moment.

What good is a memory if the only thing that reminds us is a photo?

This is not to say that we should never take photos! One of the best parts of our technological revolution is society's ability to capture the most beautiful (and tragic) parts of our world. It is an invaluable gift to humanity, and for the first time in the entirety of our collective human history, you and I are somehow blessed (or cursed) with the ability to see even the most remote parts of our world with a magic device in our pocket. I feel deeply grateful to be alive during such a time!

Technology is indeed a helpful tool to help us "see" more. And, it can help remind us of wonderful memories that we actually do remember, like a picture someone took of us at the office Christmas party that we had no clue they snapped. Photos and videos allow us to revisit deeply touching and impactful moments of our lives, which I believe holds immense value.

But technology should not be a substitute for experience. Technology is not meant to be a proxy for connection or a replacement for tangible somatic memory (memories that you can feel, like smelling a perfume that reminds you of someone you love or eating at your favorite childhood pizza place).

So, Coleman, how do I do that? Do I take a photo or not take a photo? What are you saying?

Great question. Here's a practical suggestion:

Before you take a picture or video, first drink it all in. What are you seeing? Hearing? Smelling? Feeling? Commit that to memory before the phone ever gets to eat.

Here's another question you might answer:

What do you want to remember about this experience?
When you think back on this moment, or look at that picture, what do you want to be reminded of?

The sound of the breeze gently rustling the flowers, or the soft roar of a waterfall in the distance? Do you want to remember how much you love the person you're with, the smell of their cologne, or the feeling of your hand in theirs? Can you commit to your memory the pride you feel watching someone be recognized for an accomplishment, or the joke that made you laugh with your whole chest?

How positively dull it would be to have nothing more than a 5 × 7 on the wall. Photos are only good as long as you can see them, but memories that you can feel will last you a lifetime. Cesare Pavese, an influential Italian author and poet from the nascent decades of the twentieth century wrote, "We do not remember days, we remember moments."

Our lives happen one moment at a time, and you can more fully experience them one conscious choice at a time. You have the phone, and it's frankly never going away (short of a total technological collapse).

You decide what to do with it.

If you're feeling lost in the noise and want to live with more intention, I invite you to schedule a Wellness Clarity Session. These short, intensive sessions are designed to help you cut through the distractions and align your daily actions with your values. Let's work together to help you live a life of presence, purpose, and unforgettable moments.

Click here to schedule your Wellness Clarity Session today!

I want to leave you with one of my favorite quotes:

Major Super Exciting Announcement!

I am not lying when I tell you I was so excited about this last night I couldn’t sleep. I was quite literally wide awake all night long, and I can still hardly contain how thrilled I am about this next adventure. So now that I’ve told my mother first…

I am building an app!

You read that right! I am building a custom app to centralize all aspects of your wellness journey. A quick search on the App store for “lifestyle,” “fitness,” or “wellness” apps will yield no shortage of results for habit trackers, meditation and mindfulness apps, workout plans, weight and nutrition logs, etc. You know what they have in common?

They only address one need, and you have to have a different app (and subscription!) for each function.

But what if there was a better way?

What if instead of cycling through 3-5 different apps to keep track of your wellness journey, you could come to one place? How cool would it be if in one app you could:

• Design and track workout and nutrition plans

• Access valuable resources, like meditation and mindfulness guides

• Connect with others on their wellness journey to support and be encouraged by one another

• Watch yourself make progress towards goals you set

• Have a space to let out your thoughts from the day with journal prompts and voice journaling

• Receive daily affirmations and inspirations to keep you motivated

• And more!

It would be like having a personal wellness and lifestyle coach, but in your pocket and accessible wherever you are!

Introducing ARETE, an app unlike any other. I aim to build a world where anyone can access tools and resources to live a balanced, meaningful life each and every day and to be supported by others doing the same. Technology doesn’t have to be mindless scrolling or stupid games on your phone - it can be used as a place to learn more about yourself, grow into the life you want to live, and choose your experience one intentional moment at a time. This app will be your one-stop-shop to not only keep track of your habits, but to build routines that work for you, practice mindfulness however it fits in your day, check in with yourself, and become just a little bit better every day.

This is going to be a game changer for the lives of so many people, and I am beyond amazed that I will be able to use this tool to help people all over the world design a life that they love on their terms. Wellness shouldn’t be difficult, complicated, or expensive and I truly believe that I can help anyone strive to become better today than they were yesterday.

When the app launches, the subscription will be $30/month, which isn’t too bad considering it replaces every other wellness app on your phone and gets you access to a real, live, certified personal trainer, wellness coach, and educator. $1 a day to transform your daily life? Sounds easy to me.

Here is where things get exciting…

I am looking for beta testers!

Now is your opportunity to get in on the ground floor a life-changing platform. I have a limited number of beta testers available, and I am looking for anyone and everyone to try this app. Whether you are 17 and a senior in high school or 77 years old and enjoying retirement, your feedback is immensely valuable during the developing stages. I am creating an app for everyone, and if you were looking for the perfect opportunity to support me and potentially change your life, this is it!

As a thank you for your continued readership, I want to first offer these beta slots to you. Yes, you!

In exchange for early access to the app, which will launch exactly one week from today, I’ll periodically send out surveys and feedback forms to ensure the app meets your needs. For one month, we’ll work together to create a space where anyone can elevate their life and YOU get to help design it. How awesome is that?

If you would like to become a beta tester, I am offering a 50% discount for your first year. 

Wait what?

50% off the entire year?

Just to use the app, answer some questions, and change my life?

Okay okay settle down now. I know it’s cool. ;)

I’d love for you to join me as we learn to see the world as it could be and discover how beautiful life can be, together.

If that sounds good to you, and $15 seems like a reasonable price, click here to get started :)

The beta version of the app will launch next Monday, August 25. The full version will launch in mid-September. Once you sign up by following the link, you will receive a direct email with a link to download the app as soon as it is ready.

This is going to change people’s lives, I just know it. I can feel it. Are you ready?

Until next time, live uninterrupted.

~Coleman