Over stimulated, over scheduled?

63 and 13. These are the numbers from my last zoom event. 63 RSVP'd, and 13 showed up.

I did not ask you to get in a car and drive in -18 weather in the dark of night, just turn on your computer in the comfort of your own home and absorb. This is not a rant to complain about people not showing up for stuff, not completely.

This Zoom event hosted a nutritional therapist that I had worked with and completely blew my mind on how I think about food. I thought: it's January, maybe we can help some people with their resolutions. And what else do people have to do on a Monday night in January- right? WRONG! It got me thinking… 63 people raised their hands and clicked the button and wanted to attend but didn't… why? I naturally assumed that I must suck at marketing. I did not remind people enough or did not call; I just emailed.

All of that is correct; however, I remembered the night before watching 60 minutes (yes, I watch it religiously on Sunday nights and have for as long as I can remember). They reported on the "Great American Resignation." Research shows people are burnt out; this resonated with me! We are so overstimulated in our culture that maybe people did not show up for my Zoom because they did not have the bandwidth to consume one more thing? We have social coming at us, phone alerts, email alerts, work pressures, and now a Zoom & Learn. Overload!

Of the 13 that did show up, ironically, many were above 50. This also makes me think, is it a generational thing? Do younger generations RSVP to things and then have no problem canceling, where older generations have the attitude of "I signed up, I attend." Do what you say you are going to do.

I don't know the answer to any of my thoughts, but I do know that people are over-scheduled and over-consuming media at alarming rates. It is causing people to burn out and not be present in simple day-to-day things. I share this with all of you because maybe as we begin 2022, we should say no to things. I say no to things that DON’T bring me joy, make me money or save me money. Maybe we turn off the phones for a few hours a day to just read a book that requires our real presence or turn off our phone alerts. However you slice it, the world is not slowing down, so you have to slow down where you can.

‍