Magic comes in all shapes and sizes, from the mundane to the fantastical. Sometimes it's taking something magical and using it in a practical sense. Either way, it’s about intention plus action (something the author of this week's book review knows a little about!).
We occasionally work magic without realizing it, which is why mindfulness is so important. I wanted to share a book that has helped me become more mindful and create more magic in my day to day life.
Genre: Self-Help
Rating: 5/5 Stars
Pairing: Everything (But the Screen) Challah* + sparkling wine
*author's recipe in the book; photos below!
24/6: The Power of Unplugging One Day a Week by Tiffany Shlain came to me by accident—a random extra book sent home with me from the library during a curbside pickup—and I am so glad it did.
24/6 is pretty much what you think: a book about the benefits of spending one day each week screen-free. At the same time, it is so much more than that. While Shlain explains how she and her husband came up with the idea for their “Technology Shabbat”—a modern twist on the ancient Jewish ritual of a weekly day of rest—and how it has affected their lives, she is also touching on our relationship to technology as a society, as well as our relationship to ourselves, others, and Spirit.
One thing I love about 24/6 is how Shlain recognizes the ways tech helps us, while also arguing how our society’s relationship with tech has reached toxic levels: the constant need to be "on," the blurring of boundaries, the way tech has sapped our creativity by not allowing our minds to wander freely, the way people grow Internet Balls . . . I appreciate her realistic, central stance; it proves to readers that she isn’t trying to force sales and ideas down your throat, but has done the research and is offering a nugget of wisdom in the form of a new habit.
In one of her arguments for tech, Shlain suggests the idea of rest as a form of technology in itself; a tool we use as a way of rebooting and debugging our systems. It's one of the most important parts of a Technology Shabbat. She compares our memory to a hard drive and explains why sleep is so important to its functioning. This was a lightbulb moment for me and got me to wondering what other intangible, less-obvious tools I might have in my toolbox.
Aside from arguing the pros and cons and listing the whys of creating a Tech Shabbat, Shlain gives you tons of advice, ideas, and suggestions for creating your own version. She shows the reader how to take their intention and put it into action, thereby creating magic in their life—all in the form of radical rest that gets us back in touch with the deepest, most sacred parts of ourselves.
Readers will find a list of things they’ll need to pull off a screen-free day successfully, ways to prepare, activity suggestions for all ages, and advice on how to keep the benefits of a screen-free day going beyond that one day. At the end, you'll find testimonials from people of all walks of life who have put this practice into effect.
Speaking of testimonials, here is mine:
As stated, this book has helped me over the last few weeks. While I haven't officially started my own Shabbat yet, it is something I plan to work in in the near future.
That said, the revelations brought on by this book's information has helped me to be mindful about how much time I stare at a screen, the quality of my screen time, and whether I am reaching for one simply because I'm bored. That alone has made me question my habits and helped free up more time for myself by being less distracted.
This has snowballed into taking more initiative—especially when it comes to simple tasks that could be done quickly, yet normally get put off—and enacting small changes, which has led me to cultivate stronger senses of self-confidence and self-reliance, even if just a little. All of this has helped me feel more energized and certainly to be more productive with things I care about, not productivity for the sake of producing or keeping up with hustle culture.
I certainly recommend this book to anyone open to learning about the psychology behind our relationship with screens, especially anyone interested in rethinking / revamping their tech habits (which, considering the current Eclipse portal, Gemini season, Mercury retrograding, and Saturn squaring off with Uranus, might be a fantastic thing right now). This book is quick and easy to read, highly informative, inspirational, and just might help you transform your life and magic.
In the meantime, here's the author's recipe!
Interested in picking up a copy? Check your local bookstores, or find a copy here!
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