Email vs Letters: The Art of Receiving “Mail”

It is not a secret that nowadays, the most use ways of communications are either via text or e-mail messages. Long gone are the days when we used to write paper-based letters to family members, friends, or clients. What have happened to us? Why technology has taken over our lives? Why are we allowing technology to control our lives?

I do not blame technology for these changes, I blame the human race for allowing technology to change the way we do things in life. I remember when I used to receive letters from my friends and family. Having the opportunity to hold those letters in my hands made me feel close to the person. I have to say that it was an amazing feeling. Not as closed as actually holding the person in my arms, but close enough.

I am not saying that technology is a bad thing; believe me, I love technology and all the good gadgets that are available to us at the present time. The truth is that those new inventions and ways of communicating can make a person’s life a lot easier than it was before, but my question is – why are we allowing technology interfere with the way we connect with people? 

Let’s face it – emails and text messages are great tools, but our society can’t afford to let these new technology inventions to take control and to contribute to the loss of “human touch” in our lives anymore. Today, I would like to invite you all to put your computers to the side and to grab a piece of paper and a pen and start writing letters to your family members of friend who live far away. Doing this will help you provide your relatives something that is actually created by you and that they can hold on to it as a memory.

As we all know, we live in a crazy fast-paced world and even when most of us have plenty of computer knowledge and feel confident about our computer abilities, there are also people who don’t have the same abilities and may have a hard time dealing with all the chaos involved with receiving or sending email or text messages (e.g., fancy fonts, emoticons, and abbreviations like LOL, etc.).

That been said – let’s take control of our lives by writing letters instead of sending e-mails. Let’s provide our relatives something they can open with their own hands and not with the click of a bottom. By writing letters instead of e-mails you can provide your relatives a “touchable” object that they can smell and hug not only as a gift from you but also as a part of you. Let’s start making our relatives/friends feel loved and close to us again. Remember - e-mails are instant but the feeling of satisfaction after receiving a letter will last forever.

One last thought – “The way we communicate with others and with ourselves ultimately determines the quality of our lives.” ~ Anthony Robbins ~

About the Author:

Marielys Camacho-Reyes is a career/life coach and the author of the book “Successful Coaching: 20 Tips for a Better Life and Career Performance.” If you would like to receive a one-time free coaching session, visit her website at www.mcrcoaching.com or email her at success@mcrcoaching.com