Have you ever had a conversation with someone that seems distracted? You may be talking to them, but their eyes are either somewhere else or perhaps on their phone? You may be thirty seconds into a story or a question you have for them, only for them to respond with, “Sorry can you say that again?” How does this make you feel when this happens? I know for me; I feel what I am saying to that person is unimportant. We can usually sense when someone isn’t fully present in a conversation or activity, and it makes the other party feel bad. How often are we the ones not paying attention to who or what is in front of us?

I have really tried to be more present to whatever I am doing lately. Instead of going through the day, always thinking about what is next, I have been trying to put all my focus on the task at hand. I notice that I am actually more productive than trying to do ten things at once. At home, I have really been trying to solely focus on conversations and quality time with my wife without other distractions such as my phone or the TV. It makes for better and more productive conversation! Another example that I have been trying to work on is when I walk my dog. Do I HAVE to be listening to music, scrolling on my phone, or talking to someone else while I do it, or can I instead shift my focus on my cute Brittany Spaniel and be present with him since he has been waiting for me to get home all day?

Proverbs 4:25 says, “Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you.” Be present to the things that are in front of you. Limit distractions. Make those who are talking to you feel seen and important by truly focusing your attention on them! You may be surprised how much more fulfilled your daily tasks and conversations become. Ask God to help you with this if you struggle with it. I know I struggle every day with being present. My natural instinct much like many others is to always be looking ahead to what’s next. When doing that, we can let moments pass by without fully being present and appreciating what is going on at that time. However, when I make the effort to be present, I am often reminded how beautiful a single moment can be. Put the phone down and look up!

Image via Christina on Unsplash.com