“Be Where Your Feet Are” – Bob Goff
I love this quote so much. If you haven’t read any of Bob Goff’s work you really should. He is so practical, approachable and all about loving others. Friends, we can’t truly love the people around us if we are not present with them. How many engagement opportunities have we missed because our phones distracted us?
May I remind you that your cell phone is there for your convenience, not the callers? Not everyone that calls or texts you should have your immediate attention. Prioritize your attention for the people in your life that matter most. Be present with your significant other when you are around them. Set boundaries with your phone. Allow yourself to check it once an hour – for me, this requires me to place it on silent and put it in another room.
Before the invention of smart phones, we worked roughly from 8-5 PM. Now, we are endlessly available to everyone, all the time. I believe, with all of my heart, that this is damaging all of our relationships. Friends, you don’t have to be on call all the time (unless you are a medical person or someone who has a job that requires it). We have all, essentially placed ourselves in on call positions by being too available.
I have a few rules when it comes to my phone. You don’t have to adopt all of mine, I’m sharing them as a frame of reference. 1) no phone at mealtimes (or tv) – nothing breaks my heart more than seeing a family eating at a restaurant and they all have phones in their face. Reserve mealtimes for connection with your family/friends. 2) silence your phone at bedtime – when I crawl into bed at night I turn my ringer off. I know this is risky, if there is an emergency I will be hard to reach. But I have to tell you, I believe if someone really needs me, they will find a way to reach me. 3) reserve sacred times – for me this is during my workouts. I do not answer my phone in the middle of my workouts. I used to do this and it made me really angry. Again, its a window of time.
Identify your priorities and set some boundaries with technology. I believe it will serve all of your relationships well. I honestly think that people respect us more if we are not constantly available to them. Don’t be afraid to lose your phone occasionally. Love your people well and be present where your feet are.
