Be in the moment!

It's a long running joke between my friends and I; we'll scream "be in the moment!" at anyone who is caught on their phone. The kicker is- usually we are all on our phones too.
Tonight I made a spur of the moment decision. Unfortunately, it makes me slightly uncomfortable, but that shows it was the BEST decision I could have made for myself. I uninstalled the apps I find myself mindlessly skimming through, constantly refreshing, and regularly stalking people I've never met. This included, Groupon, Facebook, and recently downloaded Snapchat. I have had Snapchat 34 days and I have noticed a marked increase in my phone usage.

I am not controlled by my phone. My phone controls me. 

I'm saying goodbye to the former, technology addicted, me. 

I can't go on living like this, no one can. Our cellphones are our masters and we are their puppets. We spend countless hours staring at a lit screen hoping for something to fill some empty void we have. Newsflash: WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT VOID. The need to be constantly stimulated-its our fault. We are turning ourselves and our kids into mindless drones in need of entertainment 24/7. I can't tell you how many times I've caught myself refreshing a Facebook feed for the 100th time in ten minutes hoping to see a Buzzfeed update or something new from an old friend and don't let me dive into seeing kids watching Netflix at the supermarket. We've done this to ourselves, but if I can touch one person by setting a good example, I will. 

I'm starting to realize how vital silence is. It is something that is taken advantage of and forgotten about. At first, silence made me tight and itchy. It almost made me feel like I was underwater. My ears rang and I could hear my heart beat. Now, I take in every moment of it and I need my daily dose of quiet time-away from phones and the noise every day life brings me. I even have gone as far as to start falling asleep with my TV off- I haven't done that in over 10 years. 

Why am I doing this? Because, enough is enough. I'm getting married in 101 days and I need to be comfortable with the silent times my husband and I will have. I want us to be okay with being together and not having to fill the silence with Facebook and Snapchats. I want to be able to live in the moment and appreciate the bliss we are experiencing. I want to remember every detail of our newlywed lives and every minute when we're not newlyweds anymore. I want to be able to fall asleep with my husband without distraction from the television. 

The future looks bleak for most of my peers, but for me, it's looking much brighter. 

So can we do it? Can we set our phones down? Can we turn off our electronics and enjoy the silence with the people we love the most? Can we create moments we never thought of that don't involve any technology other than to capture the precious moment? Can we do this?

Let's set an example for our future generations, for our kids, for our friends, for anyone who needs a little encouragement to set down their phones and "BE IN THE MOMENT!"

Let me put in a disclaimer: I still OWN those accounts I deleted off of my phone (except for Snapchat). They will just be for computer-time instead of being constantly at my fingertips.