Your phone is not your friend. No, really--it's not.
I'll keep this short because I know you have better things to do.
If your phone spends more time in your hand than it does in your pocket or purse, you are missing out on the best parts of your life. Many of us spend so much time staring at our phones that the really important things--things that give us joy, things that really matter--happen in the background, outside our minuscule bubble of attention. A good metaphor might be missing the sound of laughter at the pool while you are underwater.
Imagine you are watching a sporting event and you happen to also be checking out your Facebook feed or posting on Instagram. And--your team just scored! But you only realized it when you heard the cheering around you. Wasn't your reason for going in the first place to enjoy the experience of watching the game and cheering for your team when they score? And you missed it. They just won the game and you didn't even see it because you were texting your BFF.
But what if that was your daughter's soccer game? Multiply the regret you feel by a factor of a gazillion--and wait, it gets worse. What if she had been the one who scored the goal? Thanks, Facebook. One thing is certain: she was not on her phone while when she scored that goal. She was engaged in life, enjoying herself, accomplishing something really great. And most importantly ...she was not on her phone.
If she had been, scoring that goal would not have been possible.
Think about that for a minute.
Where is your phone right now? Are you reading this on it? I don't care if you don't read the rest of this. Put it away. Go live your life. You're missing it. You really are.
In fact, you know what? I'm done. I am ending this little chat right now so you have the perfect excuse to put your phone away and do something meaningful. Go engage in your life. You can thank me later. In person.
Image credit: farhad sadykov: "phone addiction"