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Put the Phone Away and Live Your Life
Im just as guilty as anyone else. Any time I find myself with nothing to immediately occupy my mind, my first instinct is to take out my phone... check Facebook, check email, check Instagram, play Candy Crush. At times, Ill even do this when Im with people. Not proud of it. If I have a long walk ahead of me and no one to talk to, Ill call a family member... god forbid I have nothing to do for 15 minutes. Thankfully, my affliction hasnt yet advanced to the point of walking around in public with headphones on. If I ever get to that point, please punch me in the genitals. Ill thank you later.
But I cant help but wonder... what are we missing out on? We all walk by hundreds, if not thousands of people each day. We sit next to them on the subway. We see them in the grocery store. Yet we dont say hello. Our minds are off in another world. Our own little world is comfortable thats for sure... we stick to the people we like, the things we know... its easy and comforting. Were smitten by that. But, as Im understanding more and more, closing ourselves off like this misses the bigger picture. Every time we choose to be absent, we pass up a chance to enhance our personal relationships, or to meet someone special who could have an impact on our lives. How do we know what we dont know if we dont even know what were missing? (What???.)
Approach life with a positive attitude. Any interaction with another person is a chance to brighten their day and yours. A smile is contagious; give a little happy and youll get a lot more in return. Recently Ive gotten to know some of my coworkers a little more... people Ive known for months, but perhaps didnt dig deep enough and really get to know them. Its amazing how far a positive attitude can go in getting people to open up. It turns out, I work with some pretty amazing people. Now, I could have chosen to keep to myself, but I would have completely missed out on what they have to offer. Ask questions. Ask how people are doing, whats going on in their lives, even if you think you already know. And most importantly, listen to what they have to say. You may be surprised where that takes you.
Do good things for good people. The other day I helped two of my friends move into their new apartment. It was a long, long day, with hours and hours of driving, carrying heavy shit up three flights of stairs... just exhausting. No one likes moving. But to be honest, I couldnt think of a better way to spend my Saturday than to spend some quality time with people I really care about, helping them start a new life together. Sure it was hard work, and I could have fallen down three flights of stairs together with a giant armoire, but these are the experiences that build character and cultivate relationships. Go into it knowing this and I promise you youll find it worthwhile, and not just in hindsight. We even found this gem, thanks to craigslist... its all about the memories (even if these happen to be someone elses).
Talk to strangers. This past weekend at work (Whole Foods), I was in the break room eating my breakfast. Normally I just ignore the people I dont know and mess around on my phone, but on this day, a coworker from the seafood department asked about my Botticello Farms t-shirt. Its my grandfathers brothers farm, I guess my great uncle, grand uncle, if either one of those is a thing. Anyway, it turns out this guy knows all of the Botticellos, all of my distant relatives that Ive never really gotten to know. Hes like my long lost cousin. Ive worked with him since last Winter, and I had no idea. What else am I missing out on by ignoring those around me?
Say yes more. Last weekend, I made dinner with my friend Amanda. Jambalaya with cauliflower rice and a side salad from my garden. Delicious and amazing. But a dinner like that is pretty status quo for us. After dinner, Amanda, her sister, and her sisters friend wanted to hang out and uh, eat sandwiches (How I Met Your Mother erence). Normally I would say no; its not something I like to do often. But I decided to partake because I dont always get to hang out with Amanda as much as Id like. In the end, it turned into one of the most fun, hilarious nights Ive had in a long time, and were all a little closer now because of it.
Life is what you make of it... you get out what you put in. Be present more. Forget about whats going on in the intrawebs, or in your social media world, or on your cell phone, and be mentally where you are physically. Stop and smell the roses. Cultivate relationships. Spark up a conversation with a stranger. Learn something new. Smile. Appreciate the moment.
This is a reminder for everyone, myself included... theres only one moment and its right now. Your life is right in front of you. Dont miss it.
Put the Phone Away and Live Your Life
Thursday, January 30, 2014
Living in the moment is something most of us struggle with, and its only becoming more difficult with modern technology. No matter where we are physically, its becoming increasingly easy to be elsewhere mentally. Step into any crowded public place... there are people talking on the phone, listening to music, playing games on their iPads, updating their Facebook statuses. Our bodies may be present, but our minds certainly are not.Im just as guilty as anyone else. Any time I find myself with nothing to immediately occupy my mind, my first instinct is to take out my phone... check Facebook, check email, check Instagram, play Candy Crush. At times, Ill even do this when Im with people. Not proud of it. If I have a long walk ahead of me and no one to talk to, Ill call a family member... god forbid I have nothing to do for 15 minutes. Thankfully, my affliction hasnt yet advanced to the point of walking around in public with headphones on. If I ever get to that point, please punch me in the genitals. Ill thank you later.
But I cant help but wonder... what are we missing out on? We all walk by hundreds, if not thousands of people each day. We sit next to them on the subway. We see them in the grocery store. Yet we dont say hello. Our minds are off in another world. Our own little world is comfortable thats for sure... we stick to the people we like, the things we know... its easy and comforting. Were smitten by that. But, as Im understanding more and more, closing ourselves off like this misses the bigger picture. Every time we choose to be absent, we pass up a chance to enhance our personal relationships, or to meet someone special who could have an impact on our lives. How do we know what we dont know if we dont even know what were missing? (What???.)
Approach life with a positive attitude. Any interaction with another person is a chance to brighten their day and yours. A smile is contagious; give a little happy and youll get a lot more in return. Recently Ive gotten to know some of my coworkers a little more... people Ive known for months, but perhaps didnt dig deep enough and really get to know them. Its amazing how far a positive attitude can go in getting people to open up. It turns out, I work with some pretty amazing people. Now, I could have chosen to keep to myself, but I would have completely missed out on what they have to offer. Ask questions. Ask how people are doing, whats going on in their lives, even if you think you already know. And most importantly, listen to what they have to say. You may be surprised where that takes you.
Do good things for good people. The other day I helped two of my friends move into their new apartment. It was a long, long day, with hours and hours of driving, carrying heavy shit up three flights of stairs... just exhausting. No one likes moving. But to be honest, I couldnt think of a better way to spend my Saturday than to spend some quality time with people I really care about, helping them start a new life together. Sure it was hard work, and I could have fallen down three flights of stairs together with a giant armoire, but these are the experiences that build character and cultivate relationships. Go into it knowing this and I promise you youll find it worthwhile, and not just in hindsight. We even found this gem, thanks to craigslist... its all about the memories (even if these happen to be someone elses).
Talk to strangers. This past weekend at work (Whole Foods), I was in the break room eating my breakfast. Normally I just ignore the people I dont know and mess around on my phone, but on this day, a coworker from the seafood department asked about my Botticello Farms t-shirt. Its my grandfathers brothers farm, I guess my great uncle, grand uncle, if either one of those is a thing. Anyway, it turns out this guy knows all of the Botticellos, all of my distant relatives that Ive never really gotten to know. Hes like my long lost cousin. Ive worked with him since last Winter, and I had no idea. What else am I missing out on by ignoring those around me?
Say yes more. Last weekend, I made dinner with my friend Amanda. Jambalaya with cauliflower rice and a side salad from my garden. Delicious and amazing. But a dinner like that is pretty status quo for us. After dinner, Amanda, her sister, and her sisters friend wanted to hang out and uh, eat sandwiches (How I Met Your Mother erence). Normally I would say no; its not something I like to do often. But I decided to partake because I dont always get to hang out with Amanda as much as Id like. In the end, it turned into one of the most fun, hilarious nights Ive had in a long time, and were all a little closer now because of it.
Life is what you make of it... you get out what you put in. Be present more. Forget about whats going on in the intrawebs, or in your social media world, or on your cell phone, and be mentally where you are physically. Stop and smell the roses. Cultivate relationships. Spark up a conversation with a stranger. Learn something new. Smile. Appreciate the moment.
This is a reminder for everyone, myself included... theres only one moment and its right now. Your life is right in front of you. Dont miss it.
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