Tune Out -Turn Off - Drop In

Not to far in our not so distant past Timothy Leary encouraged a generation to "Tune In - Turn On - Drop Out" and it seems as though we may have all taken that advice a little too far! Over the last few weeks we have been having some troubles with our internet, computers, phones and tv. What seemed like an obvious curse at first turned into a gentle blessing.

De-volve --- Allow your self time and space to unwind and rewind. It took me a few days of internet-less shock to wind down and start spending more time in real conversation. I knew something had to give when I began dreaming in type! It reminded me infact of a comedic episode where a group of "teens" were hanging out with eachother but everyone was conversing by text message. Man do I feel that way sometimes!

If you don't have the luxury of unplugging for days at a time, or even hours at a time, try to schedule in at least one block in your day or week where you go completely unplugged. Turn off your phone. Unplug major appliances or get out of your house and go somewhere that's not plugged in. Notice how much our world has become electrified and virtual. Try to take some time with the world "as it is". Have a live conversation with a friend without background music or video images. Take a walk without your Ipod. Unwind - tune out - remind yourself what it really means to be connected.

And by the way - yes I understand the irony of blogging about tuning out but hey, how else could I get ahold of you?

Life Is Long

So many times we hear the phrase "Life is short" and we take it upon ourselves to indulge in that extra piece of pie or stay out another hour. But what if we thought differently? What if we took it upon ourselves to think that "Life is long" instead; what would you do differently?

Recently, there has been a lot of attention given to centenarians. The beautiful people of the world who have reached or passed 100 years of life on this earth with grace and in well being. Many people have searched for a fountain of youth, a way to stay forever young - to beat the odds and even as we appreciate the grace with which these many centenarians have lived their long lives, we still seek their "tips" and "practices" that keep them going and give them vitality...

But the truth is, if we looked at our lives as a long and fruitful road, and if we looked at the decisions we make today in terms of how it will serve us when we reach 100, we will find that living well is an intimate and personal experience. Think of it, being with your own self as the world, your relationships, the people and places around you...they all come and go, but you remain constant. Granted, you grow and change, but it is always you yesterday, today and until your last breath.

When you look in your present at every action you take or choice you make and you hold it up against your long life, trivialities disperse, cravings melt, hang-ups disappear. So let yourself go - feel your life leading you to 100 and choose wisely.
You are your greatest companion on this journey so get to know yourself well and by doing so you will find that every day you start to live a little better.