The unthinkable happened this morning. I couldn’t get on my computer.

After a check of emails this morning, I dutifully shut down my computer so I could take it on my morning routine. I would have a breakfast in a local restaurant and then head to Panera Bread – my unofficial office.

As I was shutting down the computer, Windows gave me one of those dreaded messages. It was installing updates. The warning was to not turn off the computer. Sometimes these updates took at least half an eternity.

And I was planning to head out the door with my trusty laptop.

With a few moments hesitation, I closed the cover without powering down the computer. This puts the laptop to sleep in low power mode. It would spring back to life as soon as I opened the cover.

After a quick breakfast (I had to get on the computer asap) my laptop and I went into the local Panera Bread coffee shop.

First Things First

I setup my computer and fired it up. The screen was dark. Oh oh.

While in a state of stress, I went and bought my coffee. Go figure.

Upon returning I breathed a sigh of relief as my computer was alive and continuing the update. Thank You, God.

But it was taking a very long time. Then I wondered …

Did my update require Internet access? (Notice that I said “my update” rather than “the computer’s update”. Geesh!!!)

Would Internet access be blocked because I couldn’t log in to Panera’s network? Would it be necessary to take the computer home to finish the update?

Would I miss my daily morning ritual at the coffee shop?

Fortunately I had scheduled a phone call with my friend Suzan. There was something constructive to do. We laughed about our dependency on computers. She mentioned that she had forgotten to take the charging cord to the library yesterday. She had felt totally stuck. It seems that I’m not the only one.

Although our phone conversation was great, it came to an end. And my computer seemed to be stuck in the eternal update process.

What to do? Well I could write into my paper notebook – one of those ancient objects that remain from earlier civilizations. But yikes …

I had forgotten to bring a pen. My computer was stuck. I couldn’t write. What was I to do?

And I was only on my first cup of coffee.

Then the skies opened and the sun shined through. The update finished. I could actually start using my computer!!!

With a sigh of relief, I logged in and started writing the post that you’re reading now.

There is a lesson to all of this. Maybe, just maybe, I could take a good look at my life.

Some people have asked “Is there life after death?”

Another question is “Is there life after computers?”

Are you hooked on computers? Please write a comment below.

Your friend,

Jim

When we frequent happy places, we’re happy more frequently.

May the bliss be with you.

Your friend,
Jim Kitzmiller

However, if you wait too long, it’s possible to experience so much stress that you can totally lose yourself. Your productivity could fade.

You don’t have to wait seven years. You don’t have to wait seven days. You can take a one minute sabbatical every seven minutes.

Of course you’re not going to do this with a stopwatch. You can establish the practice of setting an intention to accomplish something in the next few minutes. When you’ve done that, you can take your one minute sabbatical.

How to Do a One Minute Sabbatical

This blog has many exercises that you can do in one minute. They’ll help you feel happier and more rejuvenated. Here’s another one.

Soften your focus and put your attention on the entire space around you. Imagine that the space and everything in it, including you, is filled with God’s Boundless Joy.

Do this for one minute.

That’s it. It’s all you have to do to make a fast, steady upgrade in your level of happiness. You have become a stress management practitioner.

It’s so easy.