Every once in a while, I’m tempted to just check out – not respond to anyone’s messages (texts, emails, voice mails, socials, WhatsApp, Marco Polo, GroupMe, etc.) and live in the moment, without a care in the world (for days on end).
But what struck me the last time I had that thought, was the realization that I wouldn’t be able to get away with just disappearing ?♀️
If I just stopped responding to messages and totally exited communication, my people would KNOW something was “off” in my life, and more than that, they would call me out and come check on me. They wouldn’t just wait until I eventually reached out to them, and they wouldn’t cut me out because I didn’t respond.
They would come for me, because tribes stick together, and healthy tribes know that we don’t just up and abandon those who are hurting – we pour life into them and help them get back up on their feet!
This share is two-fold (plus 3 bonus points):
☝️ (Point 1) Have you let people into your life deep enough where they can pick up on behavior that’s “off” and call you on it (and help you get back up on your feet)? Or do you have walls up and only let people in up to a certain point because you’ve been hurt before? And on this, if they DO recognize it, but get totally shut down (or get their head ripped off) by you when they bring it to your attention, that’s a problem ❗❗
✌️ (Point 2) Do you have people in your life you’ve discounted or cut off because they didn’t respond in your time frame? It may be that life hit them and they actually need to be poured into and not taken from. Check IN on them instead of checking OUT of the relationship.
(Point 3) If you’re tempted to check out, there’s something behind that. What are you trying to escape? What are you feeling like you need rest from? What is not working that checking out would give you temporary (albeit bandaid) relief from?
(Point 4) And if you have a friend in your life who’s up and disappeared, be the friend who keeps reaching out. Be the one that follows up. Be the one that checks in. Be the one that reminds them that even if things look so different in this season, they are not forgotten about. There’s always a reason behind someone checking out.
(Point 5) And if you’re the friend who “sucks at texting” don’t live behind that excuse as a reason to not connect with people. You don’t need to be glued to your phone or excellent at texting to have solid relationships ?
