Over the past 10 years, technology has advanced in ways that are unimaginable. We have the ability to be in constant communication with people all over the world. Apparently, way back in the day, our parents would leave the house and not have the ability to contact their parents or have access to the internet. Could you imagine? I know that when I leave the house and I have five missed calls from my mom, I'm in trouble. What did they do back then? Send an owl with a letter? When they were out doing something, they were focused on the people they were with and appreciated that specific moment. Recently, I've been realizing how much time I spend on my phone. Whether I'm looking at something on the internet, Tweeting, Snapchatting, scrolling through Instagram, or Facebooking, I'm missing everything around me. Instead of appreciating the sunset in the actual sky, I'm looking at it on 10 people's snapchat stories.
We are constantly focused on something else. When I go out to lunch with my grandma, I'm more focused on my phone than I am on her. When I'm at a family party, I'm busy on social media and texting instead of enjoying time with the people I love. When I'm spending quality time with my friends, I'm talking to other friends on my phone or refreshing Instagram to see how many likes I got on my recently uploaded selfie. As I've gotten older, I've begun to realize that our time here is limited. At some point, all of us will no longer be here.
Every day, we lose people we care about. Whether it was because of a freak accident, a heart attack, cancer, or old age, our time here is limited. I'm sure all of us know someone who has passed away. We never know how long we have left in this world. People around us are taken every day, and I think as we go through our daily lives we forget that. Recently, I have been thinking about how many things I've missed out on because I'm too busy focusing on something on my phone.
Take time to live in the moment and begin to appreciate the view. Instead of following someone on Instagram to watch the photos they upload through their travels, put your phone down and travel. Take a car ride and appreciate the sunset. When we are looking down at our phone, we are missing moments in time that we cannot get back. If something was to happen to someone you love or care about, would you regret not giving them 100 percent of your attention the last time you were with them? Try to become aware of this and begin to appreciate the time you have with them because you never know when it'll be your last.
Laugh more, make someone laugh, go out of your comfort zone and do something you wouldn't usually do. Instead of focusing on your phone during a concert, stop updating your snapchat story and appreciate that specific moment. No moment can be recreated or relived. Be the change and begin to look up from your phone. Stop worrying about what other people think of you and what they comment on your picture. Stop trying to impress others over social media and instead focus on the people around you and the actual words they are saying to you. You will never regret spending time with someone. You will only regret missing out on the little things, that too soon become the big things.
And look, here you are, reading this article on your phone. Now, put your phone down and do something to make a change and appreciate the time we have with those around us. Remember, anything can change in a blink of an eye.
"Sometimes you will never know the true value of a moment until it becomes a memory."
