Unplugged

Yes, I appreciate the irony of this posting as I am the creator of a computer application designed to help with inspiration. But, here goes...

I spent the past extended weekend at the Lake Eden Arts Festival (LEAF) in Black Mountain, North Carolina. Camping, world music, dancing, great food, and tons of kids running around.

No AT&T service meant no iPhone. No electricity so no laptop.

The first day, last Friday, was admittedly a bit tough for yours truly; mainly because the US stock market had just collapsed on Thursday and I was dying to know what was happening.

But, I eventually began to like being offline. Sure I initially had a guilty feeling that I should be checking email or designing or..., but the fact that I honestly couldn't made that guilt vanish.

I could just focus 100% of myself on music, food, and fun with my family.

I felt a bit of a reset happen in my head and that was cool.

I talked to several other folks at the festival. Interestingly many of them were going through resets in their own lives as they were relocating or going for new jobs. It sounded like a lot of them were using LEAF to adjust their heads as well.

Coming back late Sunday I felt quite rejuvenated. Yes, my inbox was full but my head felt relaxed and ready to jump back in.

Anyway, I share that with everyone in case you're feeling suffocated with work. It's nice to take a solid, cold-turkey break, take a nice deep breath, and see the world anew without electricity, the Internet, your social networks, et al.