We live in an age where no connectivity or a day without gadgets equates to boredom and stress for some (if not most). With our many devices, it is difficult to unplug or disconnect, unless we do it at will and go ghost.
I first heard that from a podcast with one of my favorite authors, Robin Sharma. He said it is meant for people who really want to rest. He suggested taking a year off your life, going to a place you've always wanted, and leaving your phone at home (he's joking a bit).
It's like a digital sabbath. No phone. Spending time alone. Just thinking in solitude. Withdrawing or stepping back from the noise of everyday life and getting to know oneself again.
It's a form of personal retreat - taking a break from the nuances of many things for a deep renewal or reset. Disconnecting to focus solely on oneself, and finding true rest to recuperate.
Go ghost for a year, he said. If you cannot do that, go ghost for 6 months or 3. If not, go ghost for a month, a week, or a day (24 hours). Could anyone handle that? and many more questions ran through my mind. Even my father who wasn't born in this digital era couldn't go a day without picking up his phone.
Speaking for myself, I believe I can do it for a whole day or perhaps even a week. We can go camping with a sparkling phone - one stripped of various applications but the camera (I need it for photo taking). But going ghost for a month? Hmmm... I will have to try to see.
The thing is that the idea challenges our normal way of living. How can we do that when we have responsibilities? We have families. We cannot just quit or give up on our jobs and go to Bali or elsewhere. And many more reasons and questions.
But I would like to think that going ghost also means unplugging from our digital lives or online social networks and getting out in the real world to meet and get to know new people, have new conversations, explore new places, take daring adventures, or do the things we really wanted to do but kept postponing for a thousand and one reasons. Or even the simplest things like slowing down and taking the time to really watch the sunset and be mesmerized by its beauty.
I would also like to interpret "going ghost" as not having to disappear or go far away, or distancing ourselves from those we care about and being on our own, but knowing how to shut down our senses from the endless distractions and focusing on the good things and what matters the most to us.
So yeah, I would go ghost for a while...
But before that, let me end this with something to ponder upon:
Think about your valleys. There are a lot of people spending their finest hours chasing a mountain only to realize after maybe a few years they've climbed the wrong mountain. - (RS)
All photos are my own. 23032025/08:54ph
