When the alarm goes off in the morning to when our head hits the pillow, our lives can look like a marathon race, running from one thing to the next, stopping only long enough to eat. But eating may even be in the car going to our next activity or grabbing something to go as we walk out the door. We move from one thing to the next in break neck speed.
“One day it will slow down.” We tell ourselves.
But will it?
And if so When?
Even when we do slow down, our immediate decompressing activity is our phone. We sit in the same room with friends and family and scroll for what feels like a few minutes only to look up and realize it’s been an hour. Even though we are in the same room with someone, we might as well be in different states.
Yet in the quiet moments of our lives (when we allow ourselves to slow down), deep down, we long for real-life, personal connection with someone, anyone. We want real life and not the fake reality we find on our phones or living vicariously through someone else’s travel reel on Instagram.
But everyone is running from one activity to the next or scrolling their phones.
What if we were to stop? What if we were to put our phones down? What if we started practicing being present?
The last two weeks I have had the privilege of leading high school students on a disconnected week of serving ad living in Mexico. So disconnected that they left their cell phones at home. Over the course of the week, students discovered the power in being present with each other and the world around them.
What kind of power?
- Friendships went deeper.
- Transformation happened.
- Interpersonal skills were learned.
- Creativity was sparked.
- Made up games were played.
- Memories were made that will last longer than anything they saw on social media.
- Wounds were healed
- Hearts were mended
- Confidence grew
- New friendships were formed.
- Conversations about the deep things in life were discussed.
- Everything we long for is found by being a loving presence in each others lives.
So what if we were to stop running, made time, went more than 5 minutes without our cell phones and were just present with each other?
What if instead of scrolling we played more card games, board games, went on walks, started conversations, were curious about each other?
What if we practiced loving each other by simply being present?
Phil Steiner 