Look Up and Look Around

This Monday morning, I had NBC’s Today Show on as I went about doing my morning chores.  I was not quite watching the TV, it was just background noise until I heard an amused President Obama say in his very distinctive tone "I always tell young people when I meet them, sometimes they just have the phone up, I'm standing right in front of them — and I got to tell them, young man, put down that phone. Shake the hand of your president. Then you can maybe go back to taking pictures."  Click here to watch that clip. This was part of a feature the show was doing on limiting screen time for children.

President Obama’s light hearted comment had me think of all the times, I have noticed so many people (and I am as guilty myself) looking down at their phones during meetings, during conversations, during sporting events, during concerts, and while crossing the streets etc. And all this while we have something important taking place right in front of us yet we choose to focus our attention to something else happening somewhere else. At times, it may be important for us to get back to someone immediately on the other end of the phone. But for most part, we should be looking up to experience all the real time feedback and insights personal face to face interactions have to offer. We need to be looking around to take in all that life happening around us as we walk down a street or a park (not to mention that it would serve us well if we looked up and around while walking on streets to avoid accidents!).

What are your thoughts on how can we be more present to our surroundings?

How can we be more present to the people trying to have a conversation with us?

What can be our personal equivalent to the movie theaters’ message/reminder to silence our phones and enjoy the show?