Unique Gratitude Challenge

I have been thinking and trying and failing at being present in my life. Being present for my children. Being present for the day to day beauty of experiences. Why?

Number #1 reason:  My IPhone

I have become addicted to this device. This wonderful device that maps my routes for me. This wonderful device that keeps me in touch with great friends and family. This wonderful device with apps to keep up with my kids' school projects. This wonderful device that can "google" any information that I want to know. This wonderful device that can play any song at the drop of a hat.

It really is wonderful technology. But it is also like a vacuum. It sucks me in and I can't seem to get out. It consumes my time and I miss out on life that is happening right in front of me. It creates anxiety when I don't know where I left my phone. But let's be honest. That rarely happens. Because my phone is always with me. Always in my hand. Always next to my body. Always in my bag. Always in my car. Always next to my bed when I sleep at night. And always, always ON.

And that is what happens to me. I am - then - always ON. Always connected. Always picking it up out of habit. Always checking. Always searching (or googling). Always texting. Always doing something, anything with that phone.

I remember when I was given my very first cellphone. I was in college. I was working for a nice faculty member who had a flip phone. I was about to begin travel for an internship. The travel would entail driving through a very rural part of our area. My boss asked if I had a cellphone. I laughed and said of course not. I had no need of a cellphone. He implored me to get one, if only for that drive. Just in case, he said. He pressed so much and finally, he took me to the cellphone store and gave me his flip phone, set up my own phone plan, and bought himself a new cellphone (he'd been wanting a new phone anyway, he said).

So what did I do with that new phone? Nothing. I may have used it ONCE while in college, if at all. It was just for emergencies. And there was never any emergency. When I moved to the big city after college, I gave my mother that cellphone and got a new one in the new city. I gave my mother her very first cell phone! She had never had one. And she used it exactly once - for an emergency - when her land line went out. ONCE.

In fact, other than texting and calling, I never used my cellphone for anything else UNTIL I got my first IPhone. And since then, I have used it more and more and more and more. Now, I'm never without it. It is always with me.

With November and the Thanksgiving holidays upon us, I want to challenge myself. To show gratitude. For life. For my kids. For my friends. For my family. For nature. How?

This my challenge: To limit my cellphone usage when others are present.

Rules:
1. When my kids are home in the morning and after school and until they go to bed, I will refrain from all googling, streaming, app using, etc.
2. I will keep my phone in a central location and refrain from carrying it around with me inside the house.
3. When in the car, the phone will stay enclosed in my bag. I will not text or touch my phone when driving. I can answer calls in my car using bluetooth technology if it is a good time to talk. (hands-free)
4. I will focus my attention on my kids and my family and my friends and be present in my life.

Exceptions:
1. I will answer my phone for calls and texts (when it is convenient - ie not dinnertime, homework time, or dedicated family time). When the call or text is over, the phone goes back to that central location.
2. When in transit to a new or unfamiliar location, I will use GPS on my phone to help with directions.
3. I will continue to take my phone with me whenever I leave the house. I want to be accessible for my children when they are at school, my husband, and other family and friends.

This is indeed a unique challenge to promote gratitude and presentness in my life. It may not seem necessary to some people. Maybe you are not as addicted to your phone as I am. Or maybe you just haven't realized your own addiction yet.

For me, this will be a difficult challenge. But one that I hope I am able to accomplish. To be present is a gift.  A gift that I would like to give others in my life. And a gift that I would like to give myself.