Wow, the viral articles flying around about the “Dear mom on the iPhone” have been intense. One side is judging and saying mom’s should get off the phone and pay attention to their kids, the other side is upset for the assumptions and the guilt trip.

I bet you would have thought I would be rallying behind the “Dear mom on the iPhone” story. Well, I’m not. And, I’m not going to justify or provide any excuses for why I still use my various forms of technology…a lot. You see, I don’t think we need to. We all have our own “why”.

I recently read Simon Sinek’s book Start With Why. If you haven’t seen his TED talk, it is amazing. I highly recommend spending the 15 minutes to view it. He tells us (and successful companies) to start with why. And, I agree with him. We should focus on why we do what we do. It isn’t so much about “what” or “how”, but “why”. That is the important question here.

I want to make clear why I write this blog. It has crossed my mind more than once how my Be Present Project may seem like a paradox.  I mean, I am telling you all about the wonders of being present and living your life to its fullest, but then I am obviously spending time behind a computer in order to share it with you.

I’m not preachy or judgmental. I’m the last person to do that because I, too, have been that “mom on the iPhone”. I do, however, want to inspire you to be more present in your days. To put down that phone every once in a while for good reason and to figure out what works best for you in your life. You see, that’s the point. You have to do what you feel is best for you and your family. I’m just here to share my journey because I LOVE it and it has changed my life in such a positive way. And, if there is even just one thing that you’ve read here that has inspired you, then I have been successful.

It isn’t about how much time you spend on your iPhone, it is about why you are spending your time in the ways that you are and how satisfied you are with where you are spending your time. I’m just hoping that you might slow down every once in a while and fully enjoy little moments. And, I’m hoping that you’ll engage more deeply into what you are doing in the present moment so that you might stress a little less and be more successful in the task at hand. I mean, this is important for the many areas of our life: our family, our careers, ourselves.

The why behind this project is to encourage you to really live your life. How you choose to do that is up to you. But, I promise, if you dedicate even a small part of it to being more present, you will reap a lot of rewards. It is too easy to hit cruise control and miss important things happening everyday.

See below for the “why” behind this project. Perhaps you,too, should start with why and figure out what is the best fit for you.

For me, it is being more present and loving the moments that I am able to savor right now. My “why” is my loving,sassy and sweet girls, my commitment to my community and to others. I’m living my life now and enjoying every second of it.