Disconnecting

This post brings a different slant to what I usually write. I'm all for connecting, networking, having global conversations and sharing my perspectives. I also usually write a new year's letter sharing all that happened in the past year with my intentions for the year to come. However this year I disconnected instead.

For a while I felt guilty about not writing my letter and then came to the conclusion that those people in my life, who are interested in my life, already know what I've been up to. So I disconnected. I didn't post on Facebook, barely looked at LinkedIn unless I got a direct email through there. I didn't respond to work emails and didn't do all the administrivia I usually do at the end of the year.

And you know what? The world was still there on January 2nd! What a concept!

This morning someone I greatly respect shared an article with me and I was mentally whooping and hollering "YES!" Someone else did that as well!  It's an amazing post which I'll share with you called Logging Off by Kevin Conroy Smith. In my mind, he really does have 'A Better Perspective'. I am reminding myself why I used that phrase as my company identity. When I was naming my company and was going to call it "A New Perspective", a dear friend told me that sometimes the old ways are better. That conversation comes to mind more times than I can count.

Kevin's post brings it all full circle. In being so connected, we're disconnecting from life. So instead of posting everything I was doing, I just did it. Instead of sitting with my tablet or laptop, I shared life with my life partner. We puzzled, watched movies, went shopping, saw family and friends and cooked great meals. That is what connecting is all about.

Wishing you a year filled with connections, relationship, fulfillment and a better perspective on life.

What Would I Do With Extra Time?

I'm sitting here working on my Time Mastery Program thinking of a challenge I was asked to take part in a couple of weeks ago with regards to "What would I do with an extra 36 hours..."

A question that comes to mind is, before you decide what you would do with that gift of time, and assuming for a moment you would use that time for play and not work, could you disconnect? What I mean by that is, could you disconnect from the office, from your cell phone, BlackBerry, any other means of electronic communication device so you could truly free up that time for play?

If you can't disconnect, you're not truly present and missing out on the amazing gift being given to you. And if you can't disconnect, what is it you really have to look at to enjoy the time you already have?

One other thing comes to mind. Even in answering the question "What would you do with an extra 36 hours?", for me the answer would continually change as my life changes, circumstances change and, most importantly would depend on the people in my life.

Remember to rethink, redefine and re-evaluate. Time is a fleeting moment after moment gift, never to be recaptured...same as the special moments with those special people in our lives. What is lost cannot be recaptured. Time never stands still. Respect it and how you treat it and others and the rest will unfold as it should.

Best!
Donna Karlin