A notification system we can trust.

To prompt ourselves and each other, why? What's the purpose of a prompt? Inherently, this is an action that lives in the future, we are taking ourselves out of the now and focusing on what's to come. We are turning our attention away from what's in front of us, and thinking about something intangible, something potential.

We are planning to think even. We are saying, when this time comes, I want a prompt that will help me consider something further down the timeline. But this action is essential mostly because we have a hard time staying connected to the moment, person, experience, right in front of us.

When we are prompted, we are provided with a path back to now. We are prompting a connection to the moment, and reminding ourselves to plug back in.

If we can admit that we need help staying connected to the things that matter most to us, if we can admit that phones and notifications and other external prompt systems pull us away from the things that matter most, we can develop our own prompt systems designed to pull us back into the present moment where our loved ones reside, where our actions lead to meaningful interactions, where pure sensations are experienced and ground us in our bodies and the present.

So essentially, I guess we're talking about our own offline notification system.

How can we build a simple system that provides cues throughout our day that prompt us to pick up our heads and look around and make sure we are where we want to be, we are with the people we love, and we are connected to the moment?

We certainly can't physically be with loved ones all the time, and we can’t chase dreams always. But through prompts, we can choose to reconnect to loved ones and dreams and ensure we are at the very least grounded in this meaningful mental space; and at the very least, centered in the sensations of our environment and aware of ourselves.

How can we build a prompt system that consistently leads us back to where we are now, while also reaffirming the path we’re on, our direction, and our destination?