My day without a phone.

On Monday I did something against the norm...I turned off my phone for an entire 24 hours. I know, I am a crazy person, right? Well thanks to a suggestion from a very smart (and handsome) man I decided to live my life away from my iPhone screen, and see what the world had to offer. And WOW did I experience a lot more, and realize a lot more- mostly about myself. The decision to embark on this journey came after I hit a breaking point, one that revealed to me that I rely solely on my phone to feel noticed, successful, intriguing, and connected. When I am feeling low and needy I hit that home button and go down a rabbit hole of meaningless texts, Facebook stalking, Buzzfeed quizzes, etc.

But when my phone dies or my eyes can't look at my screen any longer I am left feeling just as lonely and sad as before. That's because life is not found inside that little electronic box, it is found in the life around you. Most importantly, it is found in creation and in God himself. It is difficult to pull yourself away from social media, from Snapchat, from those messages lighting up your screen. I know that, and even after this day without it I still struggled with the addiction as soon as I went back to my phone. There are definitely benefits to having such advanced technology, but like anything there are also consequences. We forget to look our loved ones in the eyes, we miss the flowers blooming, we tune out the babies laughter in the booth next to ours, the waiter doesn't get a thank you, all of it because we couldn't put the phone down.

I want to challenge you to pick a day or even just a few hours to stop listing excuses and live for a bit without the phone in hand. Better yet, leave your house and leave it behind. Walk around and see what you have been missing, eat out with a loved one and don't do anything but talk and enjoy, stand in a line at the supermarket and engage someone in conversation don't awkwardly hide behind your protective Facebook wall.

It is 100% terrifying to separate yourself for an entire day. But you will soon come to realize that this is the most connected you will have ever felt- because it means intentionality, purpose, and open eyes!