This week in a discussion with my boss regarding marketing techniques, he described my generation – Generation Y, the Millennials – as the “look at me” generation. Well, I had never heard our generation described in that way – certainly by no official standards – but as I thought more about it, it rang very true. With the combination of social media (Facebook, Instagram, WordPress [cough..]) and personal cameras (GoPros, cell phones – all aided with selfie sticks), I couldn’t help but dwell on how current technology has conditioned us. It doesn’t exactly sound like something we should be proud of, but certainly there are ways our generation can and does use this spotlight for the good.

What we rarely talk about, or display to the world, though, are the quiet days where we drink tea, read a book for the second time, bake muffins (just-add-water muffins, at that), go to yoga, and watch Dateline. I.e. – my day yesterday.

While exploring new places, embarking on new hikes, surfing, and paddling invigorate and energize me, cooking breakfast, going to yoga, and reading a book restore my energy in a different way.

Social media is a relatively new phenomenon where users can display only what we choose to show the world. Rarely do I show the moments where I get soaked by pouring rain on my bike ride to work, when I throw together a disappointing hodge-podge dinner with whatever is left in the fridge, or where I find yet another cockroach on the kitchen wall (Gross. But an unfortunate reality in Hawaii). Yet, these moments do happen. And it is important that while we scroll through Instagram, Facebook, and WordPress and see these worlds of smiles, sunshine, and rainbows, that we know life is not comprised only of such.

Yesterday, I didn’t paddle out to the Mokulua Islands at sunrise with all of my friends. I didn’t go on a new hike, and I definitely didn’t swim with any wild dolphins. In fact, I didn’t make any particular grandiose forward motion in life. But those types of days are important, even essential, and can be just as enjoyable, for very different reasons, as the days where we push ourselves, get out there, and get after it.