Fathers Purpose
Aug 23, 2017 · 4 min read

Unplug from the tech world and connect with the REAL world


In a time where we do not go a minute without technology, it is difficult to see life from a a different a perspective. A view that requires you to “unplug” for a second to see life from a different vantage point. It is almost as if we are all living in a bubble where everything is within reach of our fingertips and we do not need to look up or try to view life outside of our bubble. We have grown to live a life of constant connectivity and consistent desire to be as connected as possible when in reality we are more unconnected than ever before. We are more alone and unaware of the world around us.

My mindset had changed when I learned that I was going to be a father. I wished to learn everything there was to know about being the perfect father and being as prepared as possible. Little did I know that searching for guidance to help me prepare for life as a dad would actually lead me on a journey of discovering myself more than ever before. I was reading anything I could and asking everyone I knew for tips and advice. What I began to do was keep a journal from the day we discovered our fate as parents to the day my son was born. This was as much as an eye opener as it was a kick in the butt. I soon began to realize my own doubts, fears, and negative traits.

I attempted to write a new chapter a week that hit on two to three major lessons that I wished to share with my son. What that did was it not only held me accountable to complete each entry every week, it helped open my eyes to how hypocritical I sounded. I was writing to help teach my son things that I believed to be important in life such as integrity, honesty, and commitment. I used actual life lessons to help get my point across. I wanted my son to be the best version of himself each and every day and to make a difference in the lives of others. I wanted to tell him to spend his time wisely and know that every single experience in life should serve as a lesson.

While writing to him about what is important in life I soon discovered that I, myself was acting like a hypocrite in many ways. I was passing judgement on others and saying one thing but doing another. I was more interested in my news feed on social media than I was on the real world events that were affecting my family and environment. I was in fact addicted to social media so much that I would spend more time on my phone at home scrolling through garbage than I was enjoying the company of my wife and family. It was destroying my social skills as well as my desire for learning because it was a distraction. All the technology around me was just distracting me from the more important things in life that I enjoyed so much prior to life with smartphones.

So, I can honestly say that I have not perfected the “Unplug and Reconnect” philosophy but I am continually working on it. I have learned that doing so has allowed me to connect with my true desires in life like writing, reading, and socializing with others. I even developed a movement that I wished to create in hopes of getting people off of their smart phones and bring them back to reality called, “The Show Up Movement”. What this movement is essentially, is a way of disconnecting yourself from your social media threads and showing up for life. Being present in the present. This to me is something that must be done. Sort of a, “cleanse” in a sense that will help rejuvenate your mind to focus on what is important in life like parenting, friendships, leadership, and social skills. The list goes on.

Focus on yourself rather the lives of others portrayed on your social media accounts. Change your attitude from being one of the “Followers” of some Instagram model to someone who can lead and hold a conversation. It is not selfish to put yourself first and focus on your own health, career, and family instead of technology. I feel that the time is coming where people will be in need of “unplugging” and “reconnecting” with the world outside of technology. I have a vision for my children to live their lives without the constant want and need for technology. I hope for them to be able to live their lives knowing that they have the strength and knowledge to do anything that they set their minds to with a bit of hard work and discipline. If they can discipline themselves enough to not be sucked into the “bubble”, maybe they have a shot at actually living their life as a member of society rather than a walking “Tech-Zombie”.

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Fathers Purpose

Written by

Hi, I'm Nick. My loves in life are my wife, two dogs, and my beautiful new born son. I have created FathersPurpose to help as many fathers as I possibly can.

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