Instead of interacting with others you look down at your phone.

This is the new norm. Last week I went with a friend for lunch. We met at a local restaurant so she could grab some food, I had brought mine, before heading to a park. While I was waiting for her to order I sat in the sparsely populated dining area.

I sat idly. And a strange feeling crept over me. It literally felt like I SHOULD have been on my phone. But I resisted. Instead, I continued to take in my surroundings. What would I have missed if I had been looking down? I wouldn’t have seen the person walking across the street in the bright coat. I wouldn’t have glanced at the listings on the restaurant board and noticed their new tofu offering.

Did these observations give any value to my life? Yes. I think a simple act of resisting your comfort zone and doing something a little outside of your comfort zone is valuable.

Don’t use technology as a crutch for staying your comfort zone. Or from robbing you of your unique thoughts and ideas that often come from focus and the lack of distraction.