For God’s Sakes, Put the Phone Down!
“If you want to be measured by your words, open Microsoft Office and go to town. If you want to be measured by your actions, get outside and start living.”
-Andy Stumpf
Some are worse than others, but the majority of people out there are constantly distracted by their phones, TV, video games, etc. With the advent of the smartphone and other technologies, distractions are at an all-time high. They make it all too easy for us. Music, YouTube, social media, video games and basically any app you could ever imagine is now in the palm of your hand.
Personally, I’m 26 years old. I received the classic flip phone back when I entered high school… so around 14 years old. Kids today are getting phones even before they reach their tenth birthday. You could say that times have changed!
Smartphones, iPads, video games, etc. are all at the fingertips of our nation’s youth. Countless hours are spent glued to these screens without any real benefit coming from them. Sure it may entertain them to keep them out of your hair, but it may be damaging in the long run.
ANDY STUMPF
If you’ve never heard of Andy Stumpf, you should definitely check out his podcast, Cleared Hot. Andy’s a former Navy SEAL that joined the Navy in 1996 while in High School. If you want to read Andy’s entire bio check it out here. The essence of his podcast comes from a place of curiosity. “This podcast was born from curiosity. I have nothing but questions about the world around me. I constantly question what I think, and what I believe.”
I bring this up because of he speaks about living in the present moment. How many of you actually live in the present moment? Maybe you catch you and your spouse/girlfriend/boyfriend sitting at home both scrolling endlessly through Instagram or Facebook. An hour passes. That’s an hour that you could have spent fully engaged with your significant other going on a walk outside, hiking, genuinely asking how their day went, etc.
The point is that you don’t get that hour back. By succumbing to your cell phone, computer, or a video game, you are putting yourself in a state of distraction. It’s easy to fall into this pattern because there isn’t any resistance. There’s no growth coming from it.
Going back to Andy for a minute, he’s talked about taking his son on trips with him. The example that he mentioned on the podcast was taking his son to do some sort of manual labor. Before they left he told his son to leave his phone at home. Simple. If you insist on taking your phone with you, set it to “Do Not Disturb” or “Airplane Mode.” It’s the same thing when it comes to “dieting.” If you don’t want to eat bad, don’t buy the bad shit at the store. Putting those foods in the cupboard is setting yourself up to fail.
Leaving your phone at home will help you “unplug” from technology and perhaps put into perspective what’s really important in your life. Are you basing your life off of how many followers you have on Instagram or from spending time with your family, friends and making new relationships? You tell me.
I am extremely happy that I didn’t grow up with a cell phone. I grew up on a neighborhood street where five or six families always did stuff together. Flashlight tag, Kick the Can, Kick Ball, pool days, and vacations are just a few things I remember. I wouldn’t trade these EXPERIENCES for anything in the world. Get outside!
YOU HAVE A CHOICE
You have a choice on how to spend your time. Maybe by 7 or 8pm you shut technology down completely till the next morning so that you can spend time with your spouse, boyfriend/girlfriend, kids, or friends. Maybe you pick up a book that will help you grow personally. When’s the last time that you simply sat down and took the time to think? Life is much richer when you embrace it.
