Forget Your Phone: My Thoughts & a Free Lock Screen
Happy October 1st!
It's officially fall! And all the women said, "YAYYYY!"
In no time, we'll be packing up the shorts for good and getting all snugly in our jeans and over-sized sweaters. Which, let's be honest, most importantly means we won't have to shave our legs and underarms as much! Can I get an amen?
Now for your Freebie! This month I'm sharing a message that'll challenge nearly all of us. Let me ask you. If you're honest with yourself, would you be willing to admit you probably spend a little too much time on your phone? (Aaannd, half of you just checked out, I know. For those of you still here...) Would you confess there are many times you aren't fully present because your face is in a screen? I know I can say that's true about me. Even though I try to be pretty intentional about not messing around on my phone when my kids are in the room, I often find myself doing just that.
The other night at my son's soccer practice, before I had even thought of focusing on this message for the month, something really caught my attention. To my left were four parents, each in their own chairs, spread out along the field's sideline a few feet from one another. To my right, another person in his chair. All five parents had their heads down in their phones. Now, please hear me, I don't share this out of judgment because honestly, I don't know what any of them were doing. They could have been finishing up work, conversing with someone about a difficult family matter, ordering a gift for someone they love, who knows. I have zero desire to judge; I know that just makes us blind to our own issues. But I did notice it.
A couple years ago, I remember reading an article (probably while scrolling through Facebook), about a mom who did a little social experiment with her two-year-old twin boys. Usually, when they played, she'd play on her phone. But she decided one afternoon to put the phone down and track how many times those two little boys looked up at her while they were playing. A simple glance at their mama to see if she had seen their cool trick, maybe just to seek approval or disapproval for what they were doing, or to watch her reactions. In the end, she counted 28 looks.
"28 times my angels would have wondered if the World Wide Web was more important than them. 28 times my boys would have not received the attention most adults are searching for. 28 times my loves would have questioned if they were alone emotionally. 28 times my kids would have been reassured that who you are online is what really matters.”
I read what that mom shared over two years ago and it still sticks with me.
I've thought many times about why I'm so quick to pick up my phone. And for me it boils down to two things: I'm either bored or I'm numbing. I'm either procrastinating or not present in the moment (bored with the people in the room, which is essentially pride), or I do not want to think about the things running through my mind so I pick up my phone to numb and curb the thoughts.
Neither of those things are productive in my life. Neither are good reasons to choose my phone over genuine connection or self-examination. Neither make me a better woman.
I heard the other day that the average American checks their phone 150 times a day. I have to be communicating something to those around me (namely, my kids) when I look at it that much, when I carry it around with me everywhere I go, when I go to it for validation.
C'mon, sisters. Are you feeling me? What are we spending our precious time doing? Are we doing that which is eternal or are we wasting eternity away?
And, so, with all those deep and monstrous thoughts rolling around in this brain and heart the past couple weeks, this month's Freebie is a challenge to put down the phone and do the stuff that matters. It's a hand-lettered message in warm autumn tones that will remind each of us to choose the better things.
Click the button below to add the free lock screen to your cart. It will be instantly available and emailed to you as well to keep for future use.
If this message hit home for you, let me know in the comments below. And if you think there are others who would love the reminder, please share!
From one crazy-loved work-in-progress to another,
Melissa
