Ryan Beale
and his dog,
Jack
devices. He urged those present to slow
down, reflect and realize what is truly
important, as he was able to do during
his 40-day break from Facebook.
"We are more globally connected than
ever before, but more disconnected from
the people around us," he said.
Pivotal Journey
Facebook hiatus of 40 days leads to book, spiritual growth.
Ronelle Grier
Contributing Writer
F
or many Facebook fans, 40 days
away from their favorite site
might seem like an unpleasant
eternity. For Ryan Beale, a 40-day social
media hiatus launched an unexpected
spiritual journey filled with insight,
healing and a new perspective about life
and relationships.
Almost five years ago, Beale, now 34,
was reeling from a series of heartrend-
ing events that had left him feeling anx-
ious and bereft. While recovering from
a recent divorce that caused significant
emotional and financial upheaval, he
and his family were devastated by news
that his beloved older brother, Steven,
had committed suicide.
"The anniversary of my wedding,
my divorce, my brother's death and the
last dinner he and I had together all
occurred during one 40-day period,"
Beale said.
At the time of Steven's death, Beale
18 July 18 • 2013
was living in Chicago, running his own
commercial real estate company and
waiting to enroll in school to pursue his
longtime dream of becoming a writer.
For the next year, he avoided deal-
ing with his grief by distracting
.000,0-
himself with Facebook.
He spent hours
online every day,
looking at the lives
of others and hid-
ing his true feelings
behind a facade of
self-assurance.
When he could no
longer deny that he was
falling apart, he made a
decision to tear himself
away from Facebook
and discover the person
behind the seemingly
happy veneer.
His experience, which
he documented through daily journal
entries, resulted in a book called Forty
Days Off Facebook, A Pivotal Journey.
It was published this spring by Detroit
Sparks, a company Beale started with
his family to promote projects beneficial
to the local community and beyond.
The book, subtitled "The true
tribulations that drove a young
man from tragedy to Zion:'
launched at the Main Art
Theatre in Royal Oak on June
18, which happened to be
Steven's birthday.
The event included a
video Beale made about
his brother, a discussion
about the book and the
events leading up to
its creation. About 100
guests attended.
While Beale spoke,
he tossed several small
rubber balls into the
audience to represent
the constant barrage of information
most people face as the result of the
ability to maintain nonstop connectiv-
ity through the Internet and mobile
Life - Changing Experience
Beale grew up in Southfield and later
moved to West Bloomfield with his par-
ents, Gail and Jerry Beale, and his broth-
ers, Cary and Steven. Beale dedicated his
book to Steven, who struggled for years
with addiction and depression.
"Steven was an extreme kind of guy;
it was all or nothing with him," Beale
said. "That was probably his greatest
challenge. This book gives Steven a
chance to continue on and allows others
to learn from this tragedy."
"Ryan has always had a passion
emanating from him," said his father.
"Even when he was young, he wanted
to share his feelings to help put others
in a better state of mind. He has helped
many people — this is his nature
Beale, now living in Huntington
Woods, did not expect what began as a
therapeutic exercise to culminate in a
book. It was one of the many unexpect-
ed results of an experiment that proved
to be life-changing in a number of ways.
Besides experiencing monumental
spiritual and emotional growth, Beale's
life took another epic turn during the
40 days: He met Louise, the love of his
life, who is now his wife and soon-to-be
mother of their first child.
"I never dreamed I'd be married
on Mount Zion [in Israel], living in
Michigan and expecting a baby," he said.
Part of Beale's spiritual growth
involved learning about Judaism with
Rabbi Shneur Silberberg.
"In Judaism, there is a belief that great
light emanates from darkness; it's about
turning pain into growth," said Silberberg
of Bais Chabad Torah Center of West
Bloomfield.
"That's what Ryan is doing." ❑
Forty Days Off Facebook, A Pivotal Journey
is available on Amazon.com or through the
website www.40daysoff.com. Quantity
discounts are offered to educators,
organizations and retailers through the INGRAM
Book Company at www.ingramcontent.com .