Are You Paying Attention?

I was in a coffee shop this week and saw a guy talking.

His friend nodded absently as her eyes gazed at the phone.

He continued, hoping his enthusiasm might catch her interest.

It didn't.

After a few minutes, he took out his device, and the spark in his eyes dimmed.

They both sat there, scrolling, missing the chance to relate with one another.

I realized how often this plays out around us.

Someone wants to be accepted while we’re swept away in the digital world.

We're conditioned to get likes, comments, and notifications.

We've forgotten to be present with the person in front of us.

Our society is obsessed with getting attention and we’ve lost the capacity to pay attention.

What if we flipped the script?

Instead of striving to be noticed, what if we concentrated on noticing?

Our conversations would be authentic and beneficial, instead of yielding to distractions.

What if we focused on a person's value rather than on our screens?

When we listen, people feel acknowledged and understood.

It’s where a genuine relationship has meaning.

Imagine the difference if we committed to…

Putting our phones down

Closing our laptops

Taking the buds out of our ears

Our awareness of the moment would soar.

The most relevant occasions in life don’t grab our attention.

It’s the highlights we choose to notice.