I don’t really have the answer. I don’t have anything brilliant to say, but I do have a question: How do you lose yourself?

Deadline-pressed and ever-connected,  whether executives, entrepreneurs or moms pressed for every second of the day, we can’t possibly quantify the total number of hours worked because we’re always “lost in our jobs.” We’re always “on”–always processing, emailing, thinking, dreaming for things outside ourselves often neglecting the wellspring inside. Eventually, we’re zapped.

How do you pause and get lost in something other than your job?

The sage, Marshall Mathers, says music:

You better lose yourself in the music, the moment
You own it, you better never let it go
You only get one shot, do not miss your chance to blow
This opportunity comes once in a lifetime yo

I can remember cutting our lawn when I was a kid, Sony Walkman blaring my ears, and me singing to the top of my lungs (the tune may or may not have been Danger Zone–hey it was 1986). In that moment, I was not cutting the grass, steering a riding mower, or even really singing; I was lost, in the moment. Sounds so very zen.

I like the idea of “getting lost” better than reducing stress, hitting the reset button, or recharging your batteries. Getting lost is a state of mind unlike any particular activity.

So, what say you? Where do you find abandon?

Photo shared via creative commons license via John Ragai.