Are You Present?

Are you present…better yet are you engaged?

Photo Credit: iStockphoto ©Carmen Martínez Banús

 Are you present while it the presence of your spouse ….It Matters!

Are you present while in the presence of your children…It Matters!

Are you present while in the presence of your family…It Matters!

Just ask them!  

A simple question that has huge implications in the relationships we are supposed to cherish the most! The dictionary lists the definition for being engaged as: having one’s attention or mind or energy engaged.

Thinking back over the last couple of weeks, how would this definition apply to your life? How would your spouse or your children gauge your engagement in their lives and in the time you set aside interacting with them?

Were you on your Smartphone checking emails, reading what you’ve booked marked, updating your Facebook status, or Tweeting?   

Technology affords so many ways to stay connected, but with connectivity there is a cost; one which could actually inhibit our engagement with those who need our attention the most.

Are our actions in alignment with the expectations of those who deserve our attention.

Technology…smart phones, iPad’s, Kindles, etc…have the potential to be barriers to real and authentic communication with the important people in our lives.   

Please don’t misinterpret the message being shared with my ultimate hope for this post:  

Technology can bridge the gap when distance separates us from those we love, but technology unto itself, can create an illusion where we feel there is connection while there is still a gap…what we perceive is not what is received by those who long to connect with us!

 Unfortunately for a lot of us our intention falls short of what should have our attention, and if left unchecked has the potential to haunt us for the rest of our lives.

• A status update might let people know what you’re up to, but a call to someone who cares will let them know how you’re truly doing.
• An email might communicate what you want to say, but a handwritten note will share not only what you want to communicate, but also how much you care about the person you wrote it to. 
• A text may mention you love someone, but it won’t come close to the feeling they’ll have we you tell them you love them while looking into their eyes. 

I challenge you to look around you to see if there are any obstacles which inhibit the engagement with those who are important in your life and then have the courage to remove those obstacles.

I have and I didn’t really like what I saw, which was one of the reasons why Leveraging Life went on hiatus for few weeks.

I would love to hear your thoughts on how technology might have impeded on the ways we connect and communicate with the people who are special to our lives! 

~Tom

trusting God period!

Did you know you can receive Leveraging Life updates as an email? All you have to do is click here to subscribe; every time I post something new you receive it in your email! (It’s easy, it’s free, and your email address will never be shared!)