What is your default?

A friend recently commented that she hoped my time in Montana was as refreshing for me as it was last summer. So far it isn’t, and I keep wondering why. It finally hit me that I have been exchanging moments of rest and relaxation for moments in front of a tiny screen.

It makes sense. I miss my friends, I miss adult interaction when Jeff is on the road or at the field. Social media keeps me in the loop and connects me with all kinds of people.

But there is a point in which checking my phone becomes my default activity.

Wake up, roll over, check the phone.

Kids go out to play, check the phone.

At the game, time between innings, check the phone.

Read a chapter, check the phone.

My journal is empty. I have only read one book so far this summer. My mind feels muddled and directionless.

That still small voice, the one that inspires and creates, the one that refreshes and quiets the soul, has effectively been drowned out by status updates, Twitter feeds, and square-sized photos.

My friend Christina talks about this in her book ExtraOrdinary. (Her default activities are keeping busy in the kitchen and checking her iPhone.)

Filling up your time can be a good thing. Being intentional about how your time is spent is the best thing. None of the default activities mentioned above are probably “bad” things. It is how often we are spending them, and ultimately what they are replacing.

So I’m putting down the phone. Not for good, but for the in-between moments. I’m finding a new default. One that makes time for reading, writing, and the still small voice to be heard again.

 

What is your default?