Last weekend I almost put my phone away for almost two days.

I was present for a human connection instead of work.

You know that feeling when you’re fully engaged?

When your nervous system is actually processing real connection instead of the constant ping of notifications?

That’s what I had.

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Why does it matter? Because work is important.

Earlier last week, I read this piece by a Buddhist teacher, Ken McLeod, about right livelihood. One line stopped me cold:

“To bring this down to earth, then, what does right livelihood mean?

It means that we live in such a way that we are not dissipating the resources that make it possible for us to cultivate those qualities that, in turn, make it possible for us to avoid falling into confusion and reactivity.”

I had to read it three times.

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Last week I spent on average 5 hrs on the phone.

Just look at the amount of stuff on Instagram and LinkedIn about almost anything. It’s insane.

We’re being extracted from constantly.

Apps draining our attention. The endless scroll draining our time. The comparison trap draining our energy.

All the resources we need to cultivate actual depth, actual presence, actual connection - they’re being siphoned off by systems designed to keep us reactive and confused.

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Right livelihood isn’t just about “doing good work.”

It’s about taking a hard look at how we’re living.

What we’re feeding our attention to. Where our energy actually goes. Who gets access to our presence.

This weekend reminded me what happens when you stop the leak.

When you’re not checking your phone every 47 seconds. When you’re actually listening to the person in front of you. When you’re using your senses instead of your screen.

The satisfaction afterward is different.

We know this.

We all know this.

But we keep choosing the extraction over the cultivation.

The notification over the moment. The digital connection over the physical presence.

Right livelihood means protecting the resources that make real growth possible.

What is resource? Not all time is made equal.

Your attention is a resource. Your presence is a resource. Your undivided focus is a resource.

And most of us are giving these away for free to systems that profit from our distraction.

I’m not saying throw your phone in the ocean (though sometimes…).

I’m saying: notice where your resources actually go.

Notice what gets the best of your attention.

Notice what leaves you feeling full versus empty.

Notice the difference between connection and consumption.

This week, I’m carrying this with me.

The memory of what presence feels like. The knowing that our most precious resources deserve better stewardship.

Maybe start small.

One meal without the phone (for me at least).

One conversation without the urge to check anything.

See what you can cultivate when your resources aren’t being constantly extracted but cultivated.

Khuyen

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Ps: do write back. I love hearing from you!

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