Remember those viral articles from years ago about the “Dear mom on the iPhone”? The internet was buzzing—some people shaming parents for not being “present,” others pushing back against the assumptions and the guilt.
If that conversation were happening today, it would probably be a TikTok video, a trending tweet, or a polarized comment thread. And I imagine the responses would be just as intense.
You might think I’d be rallying behind the original “Dear mom on the iPhone” message. But I’m not. Because it missed the most important part of the conversation: the why.
I’m not here to defend screen time. I’m also not here to shame it. Like most of us, I use technology—a lot. I work from a phone and a laptop. I document moments, reply to texts from my team, message my daughters, and yes, I scroll. But I also choose to be present as often and as intentionally as I can.
The difference, I believe, is why we do what we do.
I’ve come back to this often since reading Simon Sinek’s Start With Why. If you haven’t seen his TED Talk, take 15 minutes and watch—it’s worth it. His core message is that people and organizations thrive when they’re rooted in purpose, not just process. The same is true for how we live our lives.
That’s why I created the Be Present Project. It’s not to guilt anyone into screen-free living or to chase some illusion of perfection. It’s to explore how we can live with more intention in the midst of full, complex, digital lives. And yes, it might seem ironic—I write these reflections behind a screen. I share them online. I use technology to talk about presence. But it’s not a contradiction. It’s a choice. One rooted in my why.
I’m not here to tell you to get off your phone. I’m here to ask—is your phone helping you connect to your why, or pulling you further from it? And more importantly, do you know what your why is?
For me, it’s my girls—loving, sassy, sweet, growing fast. It’s the community I’m honored to serve. It’s the people I lead, the relationships I nurture, the life I’m building with purpose.
My hope is that by sharing my journey, something in these words sparks reflection for you. That you’ll pause and ask yourself: Where is my time going? What am I saying yes to—and why? What really matters most right now?
Presence doesn’t mean perfection. It means awareness. Alignment. A willingness to slow down and choose how you show up.
So no—this project isn’t about how much screen time you clock. It’s about how much meaning you’re getting from the way you spend your time. That’s the real story. That’s what matters.
So let’s stop judging and start living—fully, intentionally, and with purpose.
Because when you lead with your why, presence becomes a natural part of your life. And that’s where the magic lives.
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