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As the daylight hours get shorter we find ourselves spending a little less time outdoors exploring and a little more time indoors with colleagues, friends and family, or even alone.

We’ve made this digital wallpaper download because we want to remind ourselves of the opportunity this time brings for connection. We want to challenge ourselves to be present with those around us and even with ourselves.

Every time we reach for our phones we will see this reminder, which we hope we will let ourselves listen to. Perhaps we will even be inspired to turn our phones over so that the screen does not light up mid conversation. In a September Op Ed for the New York times Sherry Turkle wrote:  

the mere presence of a phone on a table between [people] or in the periphery of their vision changes both what they talk about and the degree of connection they feel. People keep the conversation on topics where they won’t mind being interrupted. They don’t feel as invested in each other. Even a silent phone disconnects us.

Our initial steps towards being present will start with carving out special time in our day or throughout our week to be free of distractions. We will commit to keeping our phones separate from intimate occasions. But we will challenge ourselves to go beyond carving out special time and aim to incorporate this mindset into our daily maneuverings. In the Myth of Quality Time, Frank Bruni reminds us that:

people tend not to operate on cue...We reach out for help at odd points; we bloom at unpredictable ones. The surest way to see the brightest colors, or the darkest ones, is to be watching and waiting and ready for them.

We will challenges ourselves to be watching and waiting and ready.

We will challenge ourselves to be present.

We’d love to hear from you! How do you remind yourself to stay present and connected with those around you?