I decided to name this series Look Up for one simple reason: when you look up life is actually pretty amazing. But, I actually cannot take credit for the name Look Up. My dad came up with that name one day when we were driving. Like my dad, I’ve always been rather detached from my phone. I love being away from my phone. I love going on trips and not bringing it. I love putting it in another room at night time and not looking at it until after my morning routine. Sure, I love podcasts, music, and staying in contact with my friends and family, but I really don’t find it very enjoyable to scroll through social media for hours at a day. Or generally just spending hours on my phone every day.
I feel that we live in a world where we have become scared of being bored or alone. We must have our phone with us! God forbid we go to the grocery store without it. Or even worse, imagine forgetting it at home in the morning and being without it a whole day. Yikes!
How often do you see couples or friends out for lunch, each with their head buried in their phone? How often do you watch a movie without looking at your phone? How long do you work before you scroll through Instagram? Are you replying to emails when standing in line at the store? Are you checking messages while driving? Are you having (or attempting to) have a conversation while also replying to a message? When was the last time you went for a walk or a run without listening to music or a podcast and instead just listened to nature?
I think we lose a lot by constantly being distracted by our phones and not just being present. As a creative person, my best and most creative ideas come when I’m wandering the streets of a big city with nowhere specific to do or see. Or when I’m dead bored waiting in line at the grocery store. Or when I’m driving by myself and I don’t listen to anything. Or when I’m hiking or going for a stroll on the beach. Maybe when I’m meditating. I find inspiration in many places, and my ideas often come in the most random places when I least expect them. But what they all have in common is this: My phone is nowhere near me.
I don’t believe that human beings are hardwired for the bombardment of information and stimulation we are getting through phones. Don’t get me wrong, I believe phones are wonderful, but I also know that if we don’t control our phone, it will control us.
It is also my deep belief that people that don’t waste away their life on a little device, are happier. They are more present. They are more content. More grounded. They don’t constantly see what strangers online are up to. They don’t feel like they are missing out all the time.
If you live your life through a phone and you forget to look up, you might miss your life. You might miss an idea or an opportunity. You might miss a beautiful encounter with someone. You might miss a friend. You might just miss getting to know yourself. Because when you look up, you will realise that life is actually rather extraordinary and magical, and you don’t want to miss it.
