Find a Few Minutes

      Over the course of the last few days maybe you  have found time to write down the things that are distracting you from connecting from the ones that you love; things that are distracting you from the life you really want to live. Now that we have identified what some of these things are, we are going to start taking time throw out some junk (aka distracted time) that just really doesn't matter and replace it with things that do matter. 'This week, make an investment of time, attention, and love in your treasured relationship by temporarily ditching distraction and being fully present. Start by identifying sabotaging factors that prevent you from investing in what really matters. Ask yourself: what daily distractions prevent me from being fully present with the people I love? What actions can I take to reduce or eliminate one or more of theses distractions?
 By identifying your distractions. you can become more aware of their potential to weaken your relationships. This heightened awareness will enable you to make different choices. It is helpful to note that making valuable investments in the lives of your loved ones does not require enormous amounts of time and effort. For example:
    -I left my phone in the car and walked hand in hand to school with my child
    - I conversed with my child in the car on the way to practice
    - I put my phones in the closet after work and played a game with my family
    -I made a snowman with my child
     - I let my child help with dinner (Hands Free Mama)
     Find ten or fifteen minutes a day where you can put the phone (or other distraction) away and not let it distract you. Morning may be best when the sunshine is tickling across your window sill. Maybe in the late evening when the stars are beginning to gleam. Whenever it may be, find a time (even five minutes) where you can just be you, and be present. If you don't have family close, then take time to connect with yourself and who you really are, or take the time to ponder and think. Take time to discover your relationship with your Creator. Only you can do it. Only you can find 5-15 minutes that could be spent on something more wholesome.
      A night a little while ago, I had tickled my adorable three year old as he went to bed. The energy in the house was high and a little tickle seemed just right for that night. The next night, however, he asked for a tickle again while in bed. I worried 'What if this excites him too much and he doesn't sleep? What if he asks for this every night...?' My tired worn self wanted to not tickle. Scrolling sounded more lazy and effortless, but in that moment I recognized that I am not always going to have these moments where my son wanted me to tickle him before bed (can you imagine a teenager asking for that? :) ). I was able to recognize that this really won't last forever and the tradition has generally stuck. He still will ask for tickles and I have learned a few things from this experience: that a little more laughter does me good, that is was good to see my toddler laughing so hard, that the tickling and hard laughing didn't really keep him up later or make him bounce off the walls. I found that I felt like a better mom when I let myself laugh with him as I tickled him. This is just one experience that I have had thus far with over coming distraction.
     You can have these experiences too. And realistically they don't take that  much time. I really only tickle him for two or three minutes, and the fulfillment we both feel is very much worth that time. Find time to drop your distraction for a few minutes and find out what can happen! :)
 

Previous posts on Becoming Hands Free can be found here: 

Becoming Hands Free

Awareness