Why Rushing Through Life Steals The Moments That Matter

If the holidays feel loud and your attention feels thin, this one’s for you. Dan takes a quiet solo drive through a timeless theme—be present—reviving a note he wrote in 2012 and testing it against today’s hyperconnected world. From crowded malls to glowing screens at dinner, we look at how small habits and constant notifications dilute the simple joys we actually want to protect: conversation, eye contact, unhurried laughter, and the comfort of just being together.

We unpack three sticky truths from a leadership conference Dan attended with his daughter. First, rushing through any season blinds us to the blessings baked into ordinary moments. Second, you can show up physically but still be miles away mentally. Third, maybe purpose is less about adding more and more about choosing the right square to stand on. Those ideas frame a candid confession from a technologist who loves gadgets, yet sees how quickly convenience morphs into compulsion. Phones become reflexes. Feeds masquerade as connection while siphoning attention from the person across the table.

Practical shifts make the theme usable. We talk about moving your phone out of reach during meals and meetings, setting clear check-in windows, and treating vacations like presence training with one daily phone check. Build small rituals that resist the scroll: device-free dinners, five-minute evening check-ins, slow walks, or reading together. And then a bolder step—try a weekly gadget-free day to reset your nervous system and rediscover focus. The promise isn’t perfection; it’s progress. Make 2026 the year of presence: generous attention for family, friends, coworkers, and your community. The emails and alerts will wait. The moments you rescue won’t need replay; they’ll already be lived. If this resonates, share the episode with someone who needs a gentle nudge, subscribe for more road-tested reflections, and leave a review to tell us where you’re choosing to be fully here.

Chapters

• 0:00 Welcome And Show Mission
• 0:30 Holiday Chaos Sparks Reflection
• 0:55 Be Present: Three Lasting Truths
• 1:53 Tech Love And Its Distractions
• 3:12 Practical Ways To Disconnect
• 4:19 Commit To Presence In 2026
• 5:06 Closing Thanks And Where To Find Us

Transcript

SPEAKER_00: 0:02

Welcome to Dan the Road Trip Guy. I'm your host Dan, and each week we'll embark on a new adventure, discovering memory and life lessons of our incredible guests. From everyday travelers to thrill seekers and everyone in between, this podcast is your front row seat to inspiring stories of passion, resilience, and the pursuit of happiness. So buckle up and enjoy the ride. Christmas time can be a somewhat chaotic time for a lot of us. Running around trying to get gifts for loved ones and friends. Going to parties, maybe. It can be a stressful time, for sure. And that took me back to thinking about something I wrote in 2012. I hope you enjoy it. I'm by myself on this little road trip today. But here's how that writing went back in 2012. And I'd had the privilege of attending a leadership conference with my daughter. The theme was simple, yet profound. Be present. One of the speakers one of the speakers spoke on the theme in a way that deeply resonated with me. She shared three truths that have stayed with me. Now, they've stayed with me, I'm not saying I have perfectly practiced them. But I'm thinking twenty twenty six, maybe I'm gonna take this writing to heart. Number one, when we rush through seasons, we miss the blessings of the moment. Number two, she said, it's possible to be physically present, but not fully engaged. I'm thinking little mobile device is a distraction looking back. And number three, God has chosen the squares of your life. You may just be standing on the wrong one. Back in twenty twelve, her words gave me pause, and I think they're giving me pause today. We live in a time when many would say we're always present because of our gadgets. Yet those same devices often keep us from being truly present. I was reminded of an old Andy Griffith show episode where a visiting pastor preached a sermon titled What's Your Hurry? The people of Mayberry were so consumed with preparing for a band concert that they forgot to enjoy one another's company. That can be us too. We rush through the week, longing for Friday, in the process miss the gift of time with each other every day. As a technologist, I'll admit I love gadgets, I love apps, but I also know how easily they can take over our lives. I've caught myself clutching my phone like it's a lifeline, checking emails the moment they arrive, waiting for the next text as it might change the world, scrolling through Facebook or Instagram for updates from people some I don't even know. These tools are wonderful. They connect us across the globe and help us to reconnect with old friends, but they can also steal our attention from the people right in front of us. Walking through the mall recently, now this is back in twenty twelve, remember, I noticed how many people were glued to their devices, typing as they walked, talking on their phone while backing out of a parking space, or eating with their phones sitting on the table, and maybe someone sitting right across from them. These little screens have become constant companions, but they also keep us from being truly present. What if, instead, we set them aside in meetings, at meals, or during one-on-one conversation? Let's put the phone out of reach. Whatever message comes in, it can wait. Chances are it's not a world changer. And when you go on vacation, try decon and when you go on vacation, try disconnecting. Check your phone once a day. Let people know you're away, and give yourself permission to be fully present with whoever you're with. So I wrote this in 2012, and again, I have pretty much failed. It finished up with In 2012, I'm committing to being more present. I'll give my devices a rest, even if just for a day each week. One of the speakers encouraged us to have a gadget free day once a week, and I think there's practice worth embracing. I encourage you too, rather than 2012, let's make it 2026, to be the year of presence for you. Be present with your family, your friends, your coworkers, and the community around you. The emails, text, and notifications will still be there, but the moments you miss cannot be replayed. The questions you don't ask will never be answered. So let's be present during this Christmas season and in the year ahead. I hope you enjoyed this little solo journey, speaking more to myself than anything, but hopefully you took something away from it also. Thank you for tuning in to Dan the Road Trip Guy. I hope you enjoyed our journey today and the stories that were shared. If you have any thoughts or questions or stories of your own, I'd love to hear from you. Feel free to reach out to me anytime. Don't forget to share this podcast with your friends and family and help us to spread the joy of road trips and great conversations. Until next time, keep driving, keep exploring, and keep having those amazing conversations. Safe travels. And remember, you can find me on the internet at dantheroadtripguy.com.