Returning to the groove of sitting at a computer again, has been somewhat of a challenge. During my time in Mexico, I did not use a cell phone, did not have a computer, did not watch TV, see a newspaper or listen to a radio! It was actually quite wonderful. It was possible to actually have a meaningful conversation with people - to converse about ideas and explore possibilities of what might be - and not be "rushing" to get to the next thing or experience on the daily list.

As I look back in time, I remember when I first came into this philosophy. I consciously chose to remove myself from the daily input of all the media, and it had a dramatic affect on my internal feeling about myself and about my life - all in the positive. Did I miss "not knowing" about all the events of the world? Absolutely not, for people are very quick to inform you of major happenings. All that was important for me to know, I found out in some way.

Upon my recent return to the US, one aspect of life in our country stands out vividly: our frenetic activity. It is quite jarring to the psyche. And, in my opinion, it is creating a culture that is so detached from its connection to one another; we flit from one person to another, from one experience to another, from one obsession to another - and are losing our sense of belonging to life itself and, perhaps, losing any sense of value of life as a whole.

So, I invite any of you who might be reading this, to take some time today - and this week - to turn off all your electronic gadgets and simply BE. Be with yourself - be with life - be with those you love - and have a conversation with someone to explore what you truly value and what might be important to you. Who knows - it just might become a habit....