How distraction is quietly robbing us of the life we already have...

Let me tell you a story.

So, there’s this young man and woman…

They lived in the same estate, just blocks apart.
Every weekday morning, Mondays to Mondays, they left their houses at almost the same time to work…
Shuffling through streets, heading to the same bus stop.
They boarded the same bus, rode the same route, and returned in the evening with the same tired sigh.

Yet, they had never noticed each other.
Never exchanged a smile.
Never said a word.

Not because fate wasn’t generous.
Not because the timing wasn’t right.
But because their eyes were always on a screen.

Every day: heads bowed, eyes locked on Instagram reels or unread emails.
Earphones plugged in. Fingers scrolling.
Physically present. Mentally elsewhere.
And so, for months, they missed each other.

Then one random Tuesday, there was a city-wide network crash.

Headlines: 4 am. Lightning flashed. Heavy downpour of rain. Blackout.

No internet.
No calls.
No WhatsApp, no X (formerly Twitter), no distractions. Just… stillness.

That morning, for the first time, he looked up. So did she.
They greeted.
That evening, they sat beside each other on the bus… as they returned from work.
And since there was no phone to press, they talked.
First, about the network wahala. Then, about work. Then, about life.

Weeks passed. Conversations deepened.
Two strangers became something more.
Fast forward — they got married.

And all it took was the absence of distraction… for destiny to breathe.

And that’s the story many of us are living in real time.
We don’t need to die to miss out on life.
We just need to be distracted.

We Are Alive… But We’re Not Here

Most of us aren’t exhausted because life is hard… we’re exhausted because we’re never fully present.

We’re always somewhere else.
At work, thinking of our next move.
At home, scrolling through what others are doing.
On vacation, documenting instead of enjoying.
In church, wondering how long until it ends.

We are everywhere and nowhere at the same time.
And the truth is — you can’t truly live in a place you’re not present in.

You’re not at work. You’re not at home.
You’re not here. But you’re not there either.

Just floating… surviving… distracting yourself from the discomfort of stillness.

The Clock Isn’t the Enemy. Distraction Is.

Yes, life is moving fast.
Yes, dreams matter.
Yes, responsibilities are real.

But the problem is, we’ve become addicted to the next thing.
Always checking the time.
Always opening another tab.
Always wondering: “What’s next?”

And so we forget that life is happening in the now.
Not on your to-do list.
Not on your Instagram feed.
Not when you finally buy that car or get that job.

Right now is sacred.
And we are missing it.

You Don’t Need a Reset — You Just Need Presence.

a young nigerian lady sitting in a bus with so much going on but totally lost scrolling through her

You don’t need to move to another city.
You don’t need to start your life over.
You don’t need a better job or a new routine.

You just need to show up for the life you already have.

Put down the phone.
Close the laptop.
Take a breath.
And look around.

Maybe you’ll notice the sun coming in through the window.
Maybe your child wants to tell you something simple and silly.
Maybe your friend is hurting in silence.
Maybe the love of your life is sitting next to you on a bus.

You won’t know… until you look up.