We have always known that phones are an escape from the present moment, and a distraction from the self. Given this, we also know that if we were to rid ourselves of the phone, we would, in turn, become more self-aware, and live more in the present moment.
But here’s a question: do we take initiative and do it? Most of the time, we do not.
Recently, I got cast as a character in a short film. I decided that I wanted to give it my all, so I deleted everything on my phone except for messages and calls. I did this thinking it would be a good opportunity to reconnect with my instrument and my emotions, and even to connect more deeply with my character while I prepare to portray him.
It has been two weeks since this change, and I feel amazing! Giving up my phone has forced me to sit with whatever made me crave it in the first place, and finally confront that.
I have come to the conclusion that we go on our phones because we are bored. I know, not that interesting right? That’s obvious! What isn’t obvious to us, however, is how much we are missing out on our own boredom.
When you put boredom into perspective, it is just the feeling of not knowing what to do with yourself.
That is an extremely important thing to feel, and we just keep pushing it farther down whenever we pull out a screen. When you are bored, you are left with two options: sit in your boredom and let your thoughts flow, or do something about it and get creative.
Now, one might sound better than the other, but truthfully, I see those two options as equals. Sitting with your thoughts is sitting with yourself, and sitting with yourself is learning about yourself and everything around you.
I guarantee that if you sit with yourself for long enough without distractions and dopamine boosts, you will start to understand how everything works. You will start to understand that we are all the same and that living on this planet is a blessing in itself, even when you consider how many challenges it comes with.
I think a lot of people spend a large majority of their lives trying to find themselves, trying to find their purpose, or trying to discover what is right in front of them. If these people would stop chasing themselves and would just sit and accept what is, they would understand that all the answers they are looking for are not far away, or inaccessible, but are actually right in front of them—no matter what they are looking at.
Let’s take a chair for example: the whole meaning of the universe and of our lives rests in the mere existence of the chair. That chair is made up of an unthinkable amount of atoms, and they are all working together for you to sit comfortably. Guess what else is made of an unthinkable amount of atoms? Us! Everything!
So how can we judge one another, or think that any one person is better than another, when we are all the same exact thing? That would be like if I made the same cake twice even though one looked slightly different than the other, and I claimed that one tasted better even though they are the same exact cake!
Having a phone takes you out of the present moment which, if you were to give a chance to, would teach you more than you ever thought was possible to learn about the essence of your life, and the essence of everything around you.
