Living in the Present

I know it’s hard to admit one’s flaws, but I think it’s safe to say I’m pretty addicted to my cell phone.  So addicted that even when my phone is dead (rare occurrence thanks to portable chargers), I feel more comfort holding my phone than leaving it in my bag or in another room to charge.  After this past weekend, I realized I need to start putting my phone down more often and take advantage of living in the present.

I am very fortunate that I not only stayed so close with my girlfriends from college, but we are always going above and beyond to make sure we visit each other a couple times a year. This past weekend we all traveled to a friend’s house in Goshen, CT which sits on a beautiful serene lake and has minimal service.

Knowing it’s a rare occasion for me to spend time with most of my friends at once since we live all over, I truly treasure the times when we are together.  Because of this I did not want to miss a second of it this past weekend!  I wanted to focus on living in the present and the best way to do that is by removing the distractions (a.k.a cell phones and social media).  In doing so I was able to be fully invested in the stories and conversations we were having and the memories we were creating.  I was so happy surrounded by my friends that I think I had a smile plastered on my face the entire weekend (probably even when I was sleeping)!

I was having so much fun that I actually forgot about checking my phone most of the time.  I didn’t think twice about where my phone was or what I was missing on social media and it felt amazing!

After a weekend filled with boating and floating on the lake, laughing until my cheeks and abs were numb, and creating new memories with my friends, I reflected back on my almost-phoneless weekend and have a new respect for living in the present.

Of course I could never be completely phoneless or remove myself from social media.  That would be crazy, but I am going to try my best at being aware of living in the present more often. As Walt Whitman once said, “Happiness, not in another place but this place…not for another hour, but this hour.”  Make sure you take some time away from your phones too and live in the present.  After all life’s short and you don’t want it to speed by when you aren’t looking.

Sincerely,
K