Karen Valencic on Getting Unwired

Local consultant, Karen Valencic introduced some interesting thoughts in her email this morning I thought were worth sharing.

"Mom, what do I do? My cell phone isn't working and I've got to drive all the way home."I laughed to myself at the seriousness of my daughter's question. Then, calmly assured her the car would operate just fine (likely better) without her phone.

As a culture it seems we are almost addicted to being 'wired' and accessible. I recently forgot my Blackberry on a three hour road trip. Initially, I felt anxious to 'just be driving.' Then, I made a conscious decision to make it a mini vacation from the world. It was just me and the road - not even the radio.

Accessibility is often a double edge sword. It makes us accessible to others, while often making us inaccessible to ourselves and those physically present with us. I notice how divided my focus is when my portable communication is turned on and with me.

The time 'unwired' was truly a gift. I had uninterrupted time to think which generated some creative ideas. I felt very focused and centered by the time I arrived back to my office. An element of the Spiral Impact process is renewal. Renewal is taking a break from how we ordinarily fill our time. What is your plan for renewal today? How do you "unwire?"