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Something I’ve noticed quite a bit in myself is that I’m so tempted to pulled out of the moment. I worry about things in the past or the future, and the planner in me likes to make lists and think through things (planning and thinking ahead is good, if not done in excess). All of that takes away from the joys, processing, and relationships that are occurring in real time. It causes extra stress and anxiety. It takes away from the potential that I have.
I’m not special. I would bet that most (all?) of you reading can recognize some of that in yourself as well. We live in a world of consistent distraction- texts, Facebook notifications, snap chat, TV, instagram, other social media… it all can be SO good when used wisely and intentionally, but unfortunately, there are times where I (and I’m guessing you as well) passively attend to those things, drowning out the present moment. When I think back to that, I feel really frustrated at the time I waste. And ultimately, it IS the choice I make. I don’t want to do that.
Which brings me to this quote…
What a call, and how difficult it truly is to be fully present!
Here are some of the ways this quote challenges me:
- It encourages me to engage in the present moment.
- It challenges me to put down my phone more often.
- It guides me to engage with whomever is in front of me.
- It challenges me to work hard instead of putting in a half-hearted effort.
- To follow the above point, it challenges me to choose “my things” (commitments, activities, people) wisely, as my time is limited and I want to invest well.
- It encourages me to set aside specific time without distractions (can’t necessarily do this 100% of the time)
- It has caused me to live with intentionality
Live passionately. Live Intentionally. Wherever you are, BE THERE in your life instead of letting it pass quickly by. Will you join me?
Tweet ThisNow it’s your turn to share! What does this quote challenge you to do? What step can you take this week to “be all there”?
Such a great reminder!
Now that I am a mom, one of my goals is to always be present in my son’s life. This means putting down the technology and engaging with him throughout the day when he is awake and alert.
When I was vacationing in Mexico, there was a couple with a one year old baby and they were constantly on their phones, disconnected from their child. There is a time and place for technology and social media. I never want it to come before my son.
It’s definitely sad to see parents so disconnected at times from their kids. I think you being aware from the start already sets you up for being more successful at presence for your son!
I’ve been thinking about this a lot- especially related to my marriage. It’s so easy just to be glued to social media all the time and forget to love each other.
I think that’s the key- social media is just so much easier than almost anything else in our life, and we get an instant reward from it, so we easily get sucked in. It becomes a fight to be present and to love well.
I love this! I need to do a much better job of this in my life, but it’s been a work in progress.
A few weeks ago, my fiance and I went out to dinner on a date. We cook at home a lot (which I LOVE) but it’s a really nice treat when we go out to dinner. We intentionally left our phones at home, and it was SO freeing. We noticed at one point in our dinner, that everyone around us was either on their phone or had their phone on the table. It was a really disturbing wake up call! How attached we are to those small devices!
It’s absolutely a work in progress, and we can’t be perfect! That’s where grace comes in, right? I love the idea of setting dinners where you don’t have phones with you- that sounds great to me!