The Fourth Monkey has emerged………

You shouldn’t have to compete with a phone for someone’s attention in a meeting.

But most of us have stopped noticing.

I saw it last month with a client.
Three people in a room.
Two scrolling.
One trying to solve a real problem.

The person talking just… gave up.
Not dramatically.
Just quietly decided it wasn’t worth it.

We’ve all been both people.
The distracted and the dismissed.

And each time we choose the screen,
we’re eroding something we can’t see:

Trust.

Not because we’re bad people.
Because trust lives in the small moments.

The eye contact that says “I’m here.”
The question that proves you heard them.
The pause before reaching for your phone.

Influence isn’t built in the big presentations.
It’s built in whether people believe
you’ll show up when it matters.

What helps you stay present
when everything’s pulling you away?