Ok, this will probably result in me receiving substantial ribbing from my colleagues. I am a child of the 50’s and basically grew up in the 60’s. I looked forward to Sunday nights with the family watching Disney and Bonanza on the black and white RCA TV with the rabbit ears on top. Ah, life was much simpler then. As a matter of fact, our telephone was a party line, four families shared the line and you had to learn your distinctive ring or risk the embarrassment of intruding on someone’s call. You know, a party line meant that while someone else was talking on the phone you waited your turn and it reflected poorly on you if you kept picking up the receiver. Imagine anyone these days waiting their turn to use the phone. When I was growing up, a McDonald's meal cost a dollar and consisted of a small hamburger, 4 oz of fries, and a Coke. Doctors were respected members of the community. Lawsuits were rare. There was no expectation that you'd have a car, a VCR, a flat screen TV and an iPod. You spent what you could afford and accepted the fact that you lived within your means.

As my career took off in the mid seventies, there weren’t any facsimiles, Federal Express or email. My desk was covered with messages written on those pink “while you were out” notes. There wasn’t any email and a hectic day was regulated by the number of in person, face to face meetings that could be fit into the day. No voice mail to track and respond to…more little pink notes. I remember not so long ago that the mad dash to get off your flight wasn’t to catch your connection (because back then, there was always another flight) but to get to the long bank of payphones outside your gate so you could catch up on what you missed. By the way, meals were served on all class of flights, not just first class.

As you read this you might be wondering how anyone could grow up in such a backward environment, deprived of all that makes us functional and useful in today’s world.  I’m not complaining just being reflective. There are times that I look back and think not much has changed because most of it has been incrementally inserted into the way I live. I think that if I were able to time travel back and see the future I would be totally overwhelmed, yet anxious to live in today. If it sounds like I’m contradicting myself now, you’re probably right. Maybe technology didn’t intrude; maybe I’m just flat addicted to the access that technology has provided me along with the rush of adrenalin that is stress induced due to instant access.

So, to prove that I could once again live without being surrounded by all the modern inconveniences, my wife and I bought a cabin in the Daniel Boone National Forrest in Kentucky. This was only going to be a get-away. I immediately began to improve all the things that I didn’t like about the place and forgot to enjoy it for the reasons that we bought it, relaxation. We cut down trees, planted grass, dug flower beds and built a work shop with a refrigerator in it. I’m really going without!  I created stress even without the help of technology, sounding more like an addiction. It didn’t take long for me to discover that I could get internet access in the middle of nowhere and presto, I was again connected 24/7.

A baseline quality of life includes much more than in the past and if you cannot afford it, credit cards can provide it for you. Stress is a badge of courage. Information overload is the accepted norm.

I think it is good to reflect about the nature of our day to day lives and realize that we need to rethink our priorities. Not all of them though, just the ones that if changed would make us better people. Spend time with your kids and grandkids. Do the firefly dance (don’t know you well enough to explain). Try reading a good book instead of constantly searching the channels for mindless stimulation. Volunteer to help out your community once in a while. It’s a great life lesson, and working with those less fortunate than you can cause those “woe is me” blues to disappear. Sit down and have a real meal with loved ones more often than not. By the way, having a professional career that causes you to frequently travel is not an excuse to not make the most of the time that you do have with your family.

My 95 year old dad surfs the web, is on email and carries a cell phone. I called him the other day and he didn’t answer the cell. I caught up to him later and asked if he got my call. He said “if I answered every time someone called me I wouldn’t get anything done”. What a life lesson…just because you can be connected 24/7 doesn’t mean you should be.

The "new normal" is here and alive today and we can't go backwards, although those memories are great and nice to think back to simpler times here and there and it reminds us to not forget the bounds of ethics and where we are going down the road.

I am working on striking a balance. I am very excited to be part of today’s world where the non-tech world and the 24/7 connected wired world are blending (not colliding) to produce something great. Understand that this is the only life we have and we should savor it, not be stressed by it.

If you want a career with a company that understands the importance of a balance between your personal and professional life, check out Santa Rosa Consulting.  We are waiting to hear from you. There are several ways to contact us, www.santarosaconsulting.com, contactus@santarosaconsulting.com or 248-415-8000.