Wow, I can’t believe it’s been so long since my last entry! I hope this finds you well. Life has been busy and not so busy. Let me explain. Well, a week or so after my last blog entry, I was working crazily (busy) and getting ready for a trip to California for business/a lil pleasure.  Between zero sleep the night before the plane trip then the jet lag of time zones, I was so tired when I got to my destination. After a day or two of no-sleep catch up, I got a really sore throat, then completely tired, then a nasty cough. It turned out I got the flu on the trip. I was completely bedridden for 3 days, never seeing the outside of beautiful Santa Barbara (not so busy). The total trip was a bust. Joe called it the perfect storm. Between the lack of sleep, my hormonal state, the germy plane and the stress of the business trip, I was officially the sickest I had ever been! It was a real low, especially being that sick and not being home. No chicken soup on the stove, no emergency stash of remedies, nothing. So I come home and rested (not so busy) so I would get well and give my body the rest it needed to recover. Well, at this point I can catch up on my reading and “just be”. No more running, no more multi-tasking. That’s when the lesson happened. I am reading A New Earth - chapter by chapter with Oprah online (read previous blog). The book is heavy duty. the author goes deep and it is a book that is a spiritual teaching so you need to practice what he teaches and bring it into everyday life. I thought I was trying to do that. The flu made me slow down and just hang out and be content. Now if you are reading the book or have read it, that is what the entire book is really about. Being present in life. I’ll give you a few examples which I think sum up what he means. Tasting food. Do you rush thru a meal? Do you eat while watching TV or on the computer?  Being present is smelling it, tasting it, savoring it, looking at it - yes looking at it! Wow there’s a concept. When you are present when you eat, it makes the whole experience greater and keeps you from over-eating or unconscious eating. We have all done that at least once. You grab potato chips, eat half the bag and wonder where they all went. (i can really do that with ice cream) Or how about being present with other people. How many of you talk on the phone with someone you care for and were driving, cooking, cleaning or on the computer? Yes! We all do that and sometimes it’s necessary but when it’s not, the quality of the relationship is missing. We’re missing out. How about multi tasking? My hand is up here. I can do it all and in record time. I am Miss Efficiency. I can workout and plan my week in my head. I can surf the net and make brownies. Am I missing one experience or the other? Both? Anyway, I am sure you have heard of Zen, Buddha, yoga, meditation. All these practices teach you to be present with life. To feel life and  to be at one with it. By being present, you are not thinking about your terrible past, who did this and who did that. You are not thinking about the future and all the “things” you must get done. Instead you are savoring the moment that is occurring just as it is. That is the road to peace and joy. Instead, he says, is set aside time to plan and think about future instead of doing it while you are doing something else. Does that make sense or is it just me? Let your past go. The only thing that matters is now. Practice everyday tasks and being present in them like walking down the steps, brushing your teeth, cooking. Just be there with what you are doing. The book goes much deeper that I can explain in my little blog so I encourage you to read it.  It’s profound and worth a look. If you find yourself wanting more even though you have it “all” then this book is for you. I think we are all looking for peace and joy in life. The only place you will find it is within. Enjoy the journey.