Hooked on Novelty

Some people are addicted to drugs.

Some to work.

Most to technology.

Underlying all of these is an addiction to novelty.

I’ve spent the past three years as a digital nomad- moving from place to place every month, week, or day. In 36 months I’ve lived in six major US cities, cut across the country four times in a camper, and have visited two dozen countries overseas.

I’ve been super fortunate to have this experience and from it have grown in many profound ways. I’ve witnessed how diverse people live- learning about their cultures and values. I’ve observed the qualities that unite these people, regardless of their differences. I’ve come to more deeply appreciate the natural beauty of the world. I’ve come to appreciate how few material possessions I need in my life to be happy.

I will admit though, that I’m a novelty addict.

As one experiences novelty they develop a tolerance to it. Its glimmer is lost over time as experiences that were once new and exciting become normalized and expected.

We chase novelty in our relationships, travel, and work. We hunt for it on our social media feeds, our Netflix recommendations, our news sources.

It’s a widespread belief that time is our greatest asset. I’ve increasingly become convinced though that in fact not time, but attention is most important. It’s an asset that everything around us is constantly fighting for. Even when we try to be intentional about how we spend our time, our attention often ends up elsewhere. Sometimes it ends up in the future. Sometimes it ends up in the past.

The now, however, is always new.

We cure our addiction to novelty by commanding control of our attention and reeling it into the now. By freeing ourselves from stories of the future and past, we give our attention the opportunity to clearly see what truly is.

Attention is like the lense of a camera. Its focus can be widened to capture a broad landscape or narrowed to hone in on a small object.

When attention is focused and presence of mind is achieved, there can be as much beauty in a park bench, or sip of water, or breath of air, as there is in a journey around the world.

Are you a novelty addict?

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