Look Up

I have seen this video being shared on Facebook the last week and I kept avoiding it. I didn't want to watch it. Share after share after share I kept ignoring it. Why? I knew that if I watched it I would feel conviction, I would feel sadness, I knew I would have to admit that I am one of those dumb people with a smart phone, and I knew that I would have to change.

I finally watched that video that kept popping up on my Facebook every time I looked down at my phone to check all my social media apps. Guess what? I was right. I felt all those things I knew I would feel once I watched it and I felt a lot more than just those feelings. I hate admitting when I’m wrong or when I’m doing something wrong or when I’m not being the best I can be. Really though, who does like admitting those things?

The first thing that came to mind was just how much I miss my friends. I remember before smart phones took over the world I talked on the phone with my friends more often, I spent time with them by hanging out at their house or going to dinner or getting coffee, and I actually saw them face to face. I am one of those people that values friendship. I appreciate the friends I get to “see” and “talk” to via Facebook, but the friendships I value even more are the ones where they actually want to spend time with me in person. I have asked countless times for coffee dates, dinner dates, anything really; and the unfortunate pace of life has rendered those real moments and then when we feel a tinge of guilt for not going to actually spend time with a friend we justify it by texting or posting on Facebook and feeling better because we “see” them there.

Then I began to feel guilt for the moments, looks, and conversations that I have missed out on with my husband. There have been times when we get a chance to spend time with one another and we both end up on our phones. I have seriously begun to hate our phones. It has been the stem of some arguments and has made a wedge between us at times.

Most importantly I realize just how selfish I can be when I’m on my phone when I should be spending time with my children. If I’m honest there have actually been several instances where Mason has taken my phone from me and put it on the table just so that I would play with him. {Again…I hate admitting stuff like this, but its real life and I’m not going to void it out just so you all think I’m a better person even though that’s what I wish you would do.}

Don’t get me wrong though. I’m not saying I have a desire to give up my phone or leave it behind because my phone is a blessing at times. Like when I’m playing with my kids and there’s a precious moment I want to capture on camera or when I’m celebrating a special moment in my life and want to document it or remember it by a post or a picture or when there’s a friend who lives across the country and is about to have her baby boy I can actually feel like I’m a part of things by reading her updates and seeing the pictures she posts or when someone is going through a hard time and needs support, encouragement, and prayers from anyone and everyone or when there’s a little girl who needs help raising money for something that could help save her life….our phones and social media are there. There are endless blessings that our phones and social media can provide and I don’t disregard those for one minute and I’m honestly not willing to give those up. I do however believe we have to have balance. We have to make balance and we have to set examples.

After watching that video I’m vowing here publicly several things that I feel I need to change.

I vow to spend less time checking up on all my social media apps and spending more time valuing the company I’m in.

I vow to stay off my phone while in the presence of my children.

I vow to look my husband in his eyes and talk to him when we have a moment to ourselves.

I vow to answer calls when my friends actually take the time to call me.

I vow to call them more often to see how they’re doing rather than texting them or posting on Facebook.

I vow to start conversations with strangers rather than getting on my phone to avoid them.

I vow to use social media the way it was intended instead of letting it take over so many parts of my life.

There you have it. Now feel free to hold me accountable to each of these and get on my case any time you see me not standing by my vows.

I know for me it’s almost like an addiction and I’m going to have to learn to change my habits, but I can honestly say that I’m excited to go home tonight and leave my phone in my room and focus on my family. I understand not everyone may feel the same way and that’s ok. I’m not trying to convict anyone else; I’m just trying to make sure that none of you miss out on real moments of your lives because you’re looking down at your phone.

 

{Look Up}

Take a few minutes and watch this video, think about its message, and reevaluate just how much time you need to spend looking down and think about how much you’re missing when you’re not looking up.