The Monday Motivator | On Being Present

| Photo by Hilltop Photo Co. |
* The Monday Motivator is a series meant to motivate, encourage, inspire and provide advice on real life stuff.*

Be present. Who would've thought this would become a rule we struggle to follow?

It shouldn't be so difficult to be present, but thanks to the distractions of cell phones and social media, it's easy to remove ourselves from the current moment. But newsflash: not being present is not only hurting people around you, but it is ultimately hurting yourself.

As a blogger, staying connected is part of the job. If I'm not writing, I'm posting a daily pic on Instagram. If I'm not editing photos, I'm browsing Pinterest for inspiration. It's a full-time job, but the key is to find a way to balance that part of my life with the real, non-internet related parts of my life. 

Let me be real: I spend WAY too much time on my phone. And don't even laugh because you know you do too. The time I spend scrolling through Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, etc. is so easily wasted and then I wonder why I'm behind on things I've been meaning to do. Here's an idea, Laura, why don't you come home from work and actually get shit done instead of lying down and getting lost in your phone? (I swear this is a pep talk.)

But even though I spend a lot of time with my phone in my own company, the one thing I take a lot of pride in is not being attached to my phone when I'm with friends and family. If I'm out spending the day with my mom, guess what? You won't hear from me. Heading to brunch with a friend? I'm unplugged through our whole meal together. And besides the occasional Snapchat, I am DEFINITELY present when I'm hanging out with my niece.

If it weren't for me taking these things so seriously, I would miss out on my niece doing a silly dance. My friend could be explaining a story about her new job that I' not fully hearing. And my mom would feel like I don't really want to spend time with her. 

Listen, I get it. Being present 100 percent of the time in this digital age is difficult. We all want to post the next best thing, see what our friends are up to and check our follower count. But if you find that balance of staying connected on your OWN time, and unplugging when you're with others, staying present won't be something you have to think about. It will just automatically happen. 

I know that on my own time, I could do a much better job spending less of it on my phone and be more productive. But I am proud that I can stay unplugged when it truly matters.

At the Create & Cultivate conference I attended this past weekend, one of the speakers was talking about how to unplug and said, "If the energy is not right, don't do it." Be aware of when it's the right and wrong times to be on your phone around other people. If the vibe isn't right to be on your phone, then just don't do it.

I'll just be that friend staring at you in awkward silence as you check your feed in my company. Don't mind me. 

But just so you know, life is happening. And you're missing it.

Don't forget to look up,