Life is distracting. It's true! There is so much to see, taste, hear, experience all around us. Sometimes it's hard to be present in the moment because, if you're anything like me, you want to be a part of it all. In 2012, however, I'm challenging myself to live more in the moment in every regard. To focus on exactly where I'm at, exactly who I'm with, and precisely what I'm doing.
A big component of this "living in the moment" mentality is realizing that it saves lives! Especially when it comes to the issue of texting and driving. Not looking at your phone while you are driving could be the difference between a safe car ride and an accident. Not texting someone to tell them that you're "five minutes away" could be the reason you actually make it to where you're going. It sounds dramatic, and I know a lot of us feel we are exceptions to the rules, but the bottom line is that it can happen to any one of us.
Technology affords us many luxuries and has made our lives so much easier, but there is a time and place for it. The road, for example, is not the place. Whether driving 70 mph on the open freeway or stopped in traffic or at a red light, an accident is always a fraction of a second away from happening. Even if you think it's safe to send a short, three word message to your best friend saying "on my way," the reality is: you're flirting with danger. It only takes a short break in concentration for the unthinkable to happen. Fact of the matter is, if you're not paying 100 percent attention to the road, you are gambling with your life and the lives of others.
Yet, with all the research, a lot of us chose to ignore the statistics and we continue to put lives in jeopardy because we don't want to keep the person on the other end waiting for a reply, that truthfully, probably isn't that important. It's all about finding a way that works best for you, a way to keep you away from the temptation to text and drive. Whether that's putting your phone on silent, or the always effective "out of sight, out of mind" approach, there is undoubtedly a solution that can and will keep you from being another statistic. For example, rather than driving with your phone in your lap or on the passenger's seat next to you, why not put your phone in the back seat and out of reach? You're less tempted by what you can't see, right? As cliche as it may sound, you'll be a better, safer driver because of it.
Truth be told, there is no text message to be read or sent that is worth losing a life. So let's take a stand together this year and put away our phones while driving. I'm committed to change. Are you?
Click here to watch the "Five Seconds" video JoJo narrated for AT&T's "Txting And Driving: It Can Wait" campaign on Cambio.