This post may contain affiliate links. If a product or service is purchased using a link(s) in the post below a small commission may be earned.
Last updated on July 5th, 2024 at 01:46 pm
(a photo I took at the San Diego Botanical Gardens a few years ago.)
I don’t know about anyone else but lately, I’ve noticed that I haven’t been paying as much attention to things as I should. I know we all go about our days and do certain tasks automatically but for me, this is becoming more and more relevant. I think we are so caught up in the here and now that we forget about just being.
I noticed this recently when I went out to dinner with friends. We enjoyed ourselves. As I observed people around us I saw them doing the same. One major thing that struck me was how everyone has their phone with them. Granted this is the world we live in today. Many of us have smartphones or tablets or even e-readers we carry with us.
I found it refreshing to have a conversation that was device free. I have sat through conversations where the person I’m chatting with will stop mid-sentence to reply to a text message. I’ve also sat through a chat with a friend who forgot what she was telling me. She was replying to text messages while she was talking to me.
I found I was able to be present and enjoy the conversation. Granted I hadn’t had dinner with friends for a few weeks which may have also helped. But I was able to enjoy myself. I think we all need this at times. We spend so much time checking our phones or other devices we have lost sight of what’s important.
This could be something as simple as a conversation or enjoying your surroundings. I’ve noticed this when I’ve gone out to concerts. Yes, I’m guilty of it too but we are so tech-centered that we have lost the joy of being. It seems like if you don’t share a post via some platform the event didn’t happen. This may vary vastly by age ranges but it’s still relevant.
I’m going to try to keep this idea in mind for 2018. I want to be more present in the moment and not be so caught up in my own thoughts. Something as simple as stopping to admire flowers or a tree counts. No need to rush off here and there. We all need to take a breath and enjoy being.
Do you have any goals or resolutions for 2018?
