The greatest plague of modern society is mental gluttony - consuming digital information for endless periods without restriction or purpose.

It is destroying mental capacities for learning, comradery between different opinions, & communities both online and IRL.

But it doesn't have to be this way.

The cure to this pandemic is having a creative outlet. It has been proven by the history of mankind the act of sharing to others in creative ways builds up individuals & strengthens society as a whole.

A great example is writing, in both its simplicity and quick delivery of ideas to a larger audience. Writing is your creative outlet to begin transforming your life.

THE DIGITAL PANDEMIC

The dangers of being online have been hammered into everyone to the point even toddlers are being involved. For now, you only need to know the effects on the average individual.

Specifically, the effect of scrolling through various media feeds for the sake of being entertained or to get rid of boredom, commonly known as scrolling. This has an underlying problem of changing a person's perception, mental capacity, & emotional being.

When you are consuming TikTok shorts and Instagram model shoots, you may have realized that 2 hours have passed and soon begin feeling guilty for wasting time on something you didn't need.

You essentially wasted the only valuable currency you have since time can't be saved, only spent or invested.

Often you're spending time on social media feeds instead of investing time on there. It's not surprising since social media wants you to spend a lot of time being there regardless if you're getting anything worthwhile out of it.

Wasting time from scrolling is only the start.

Your head is also filled with unrelated news or unnecessary memes to the point you can't focus on important matters - daily conversations, work tasks, or personal goals.

You start to feel lethargic mentally to the point where you can't accomplish anything. This adds to the growing sense of hopelessness and becoming apathetic to improving yourself.

Ask yourself, have you ever felt indifferent to where you are in life and where you want to be?

If so, you are in the danger zone of being stuck in life. You will begin to give in to the dopamine hits from scrolling, using your time that could've been invested in meaningful projects and working on improving yourself.

Thankfully there is a lifeline to pull you out of it and into a great life.

THE DIGITAL ANTIDOTE

The solution is to have a creative outlet; let's break it down.

When you are consuming online, you are taking in ideas, opinions, and other information from different people with different perspectives. In other words, your mind is gorging on a mental buffet of both healthy and unhealthy ideas.

So what do you do after ‘eating’ so much?

You either lay back and do nothing, just waiting to be emptied out. This leaves your body with a lot of calories to store as fat.

The alternative is you do a light jog or an exercise routine, burning the calories. This leaves your body in an optimal state and builds up muscles as they are used.

The same applies to your mind. You need to consume ideal information intentionally instead of doing it out of boredom or for being entertained. You also need to take action to use up what you consumed and to leave your mind in an optimal state.

Today we’ll focus on building a simple exercise routine for your mind through creative outlets.

Creative outlets are simply doing a purposeful project based on what you're thinking and feeling - emphasis on purposeful. It isn't solely creating paintings or filmography, it is using your skills and talents to create any form of media.

Have you given a presentation on a class project? Creative outlet.

Have you shared a hit piece on a current event to someone? Creative outlet.

Have you texted a friend about a hobby you're doing? Creative outlet.

Any manner of sharing what you consumed is your creative outlet.

Now it's a matter of relying on a tried-and-true creative outlet through a simple habit to clear your mind, outlook, speech, & confidence. By doing this, you will become someone capable of accomplishing their goals and living a meaningful, great life.

A SIMPLE CREATIVE OUTLET

The creative outlet you can begin today is writing.

Why writing?

Writing is the quickest way to send ideas from your head to someone (ex. text messages).

Writing is the cornerstone to every other creative outlet (ex. video scripts, presentation note cards, sales pitches).

Writing is your way of sharing your perception to the world. Your mannerisms and way of speaking affects how you spell and how you use your own grammar.

Saying writing is mankind's powerful tool is an understatement.

Not only does it allow the common man to have a voice for the masses, it allows collaborations between innovators to come up with grand solutions to further advance society. From the Magna Carta to the US Constitution, writing between great thinkers still carries an impact throughout centuries.

This isn't a call for you to start drafting the next national constitution.

This is a call for you to start a great habit from a harmful habit, to start curating what you are consuming endlessly.

You can do it privately. Get a journal and make it a goal to fill out 2 pages a day with anything for the next 90 days. It can be you writing out your day as an epic narrative or just brain dumping whatever's on your mind.

You can do it publicly. Write out 1 thing of what you learned from a quote, video, book, music, or other, then screenshot it or type it out, & share it to any online platform for 90 days. Don't think too much about how your profile looks or about growing followers, your only focus is to share your writing.

After the 90 days, you'd have done more from consuming online than you were doing before.

Doing this will help you realize the impact of curating what you consume, to use the bare minimum of what you have to deliver valuable information, & to contribute to the human consciousness.

Once you complete these first projects, you can continue with them or try out new writing exercises. Slowly but surely, you'd have created a writing habit with your own unique style.

CONCLUSION

I share all of this with you because I've gone through something similar.

I shared a post on X about how I began my writing habit, but fell through during a hiatus. It wasn't until recently I gone back to writing, and noticed the differences before and now.

I started writing online to share my ideas, what I've been learning, and to start becoming a content creator.

While this may not be for everyone, I do believe trying new things is the key to self-improvement. If nothing else, you are making use of what you're consuming everyday rather than using it to pass the time.

Just look up any angry reviewer or knowledgeable nerd to see how they mix what they love with how they present it to others through writing as a blog post or video transcript.

So if you're ready to make use of what you're filling your head with, choose to write in private or publicly for 90 days to get it all out there.

You're on your way to getting into mental fitness so you can become the ideal version you've always wanted to be.

Leave a comment or DM me to share your progress or if you want support.

Blessings!

Weekly Resources

1. 6 Steps To Unlock Your Full Potential

This video summarizes a six-step framework inspired by Lewis Howes (taken from a book I’ll be reading soon to dive further in). From assessing your current performance in key life areas to envisioning the impact you want to be remembered for, you will create a blueprint for your ideal day and overcome the fear of judgment that holds you back.This comprehensive approach empowers you to take control of your personal and professional growth, leading to a more fulfilling and successful life. Don't wait – begin your journey to greatness today!

2. The 3 Types of Students (find your ideal study style)

I'm not one to catagorize individuals by their personalities, interests, or abilities but I do believe personality quizzes can offer guidance at whichever point you are in life. This video introduces three types of students: Kitsune, who are adaptable and quick learners but easily distracted; Taurus, who are confident and goal-oriented but can be stubborn; and Kuma, who are calm and methodical but need a boost to get started. By understanding each type’s strengths and weaknesses, you can learn more effectively. There is a quiz to determine your primary study style to help you make breakthroughs as you learn effectively.

3. How To Stop Caring & Free Your Mind (In 8 Steps)

Are you a people pleaser, always careful of what to say or do out of fear of offending someone? This video explains why you care to a fault and how you can reprogram your mind to stop wasting you energy and time. The approach includes adopting a broader perspective, practicing metacognition, and setting personal goals rather than following predetermined paths. Overall, this video is a call for a purpose-driven approach to life that prioritizes personal growth and authenticity over societal expectations. It's ok to not give a thought to others, you need them more than they do.