Who remembers the first cellphone? Who remembers waiting until after 7pm on weekdays to make phone calls? Who remembers dialup? Oh, how far we have come in the area of technology. Today everything we need is right on our cellphones. Does anyone actually now somebody’s phone number?

Technology has come a long way in the past 20 years. I am definitely thankful for all the advances in technology. I am actually typing this message on my cellphone. We do not even have to go shopping anymore. We can order everything online. Modern technology has made life pretty easy.

But as technology continues to make life easier, I believe we have slowly stopped living. Have you been to a restaurant lately and looked around the room? Just about everyone is looking at their phones or taking pictures of their food to post on social media. Remember, if we do not post it on social media it did not happen. During this age of tremendous technology growth, we have become more obsessed with having “Followers” and less concerned about actually making Friends. Everything is surrounded around the next perfect social media post.

As technology continues to evolve, we have devalued the art of conversation. No, texting does not count as real conversation. We have devalued sitting around the table and sharing life with another human being. People are so obsessed with technology today, that we are actually missing life. We are losing the ability to truly live.

Truly living is going to dinner with family and friends and actually talking. It is reaching out to a sick friend. Truly living is feeling the sun hit your face as you walk along the beach. It is sitting with a friend as they face the storms of life. Truly living is being fully engaged in the lives of family and friends. It is being present in the moment.

Today, I would encourage you and myself to commit to the following:

Commit to spending quality time with family and friends.

Commit to having one real conversation a day with a family member, friend or a complete stranger.

Commit to putting the technology away during visits with family and friends.

Commit to taking a break from social media once or twice a month. I promise you will survive.

Commit to planning for some adventure with your family and friends. Then actually do it.

Commit to meeting with a friend once a week.

Commit to serving others.

Commit to stepping out of your comfort zone every once in a while.

Commit to reading a book or playing a board game, instead of watching tv or playing on your phone/computer.

Commit to investing in the lives of others.

Commit to embracing beautiful interruptions.

Commit to truly living.

***Warning!! Do not try doing all these at once. Your brain might explode. Ease into them.

I know following through with these commitments will not be easy. We are so used to living in the world of technology. It has just become a way of life. Like I shared earlier, I love technology as much as the next person. But guess what? I love people, real conversations and spending quality time with family/friends more than technology. I hope you will join me as we find our way back to the Art of Truly Living. ~OC