I left my phone at home. Purposely. Okay, it was midnight and I was on my way to the gym (yes, I live in New York City). But I was off the grid — social media, email, texts, voicemail. Left it all behind. For two whole hours.
That may not seem like a lot but it’s the first time in recent memory that I can recall intentionally doing that. And it was good.
I’m privileged to have an active, meaningful engagement on Facebook and Twitter. I check in on Foursquare. As an entrepreneur, I have a Facebook Page, and a LinkedIn Group to manage. I try to keep on top of my inbox, return texts, even check voicemail and return calls. I never disconnect and I (mostly) love it. The pace, the energy.
But was I ever surprised at how light I felt walking to the gym! And not because I was relieved of the 4.7 ounce (133 grams) iPhone, but because I had left behind, the responsibility, the connectivity, the waiting for the next push notification, the habitual fondling of a device as if it were a source of legitimacy and comfort.
I could walk down the street on a gorgeous Autumn night and work out at the gym and just take it all in. Be present! Reflect. Create. For a minute I thought I had missed an opportunity to take a snapshot of the Empire State Building as I returned home. But I didn’t. I’d already taken a picture earlier (photo above). And this time, I stared up at the awesome beauty and just appreciated it. Not framing it, or trying to get a better shot, but noticing little details that I had missed.
And then I got home and started writing, and paused to composed this post, appreciating the time away and relishing the opportunity to reconnect.
Two hours were all I needed. Think I’ll try to make that a daily habit. Who knows where it’ll lead! 
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