I have been a member of a group called the Women in Business Connection (WIBC for short) in Cambridge, MA for about four years. We get together for lunch meetings once a month. Last week at our December event several of the women commented to me how much they liked my newsletter. It is always nice to hear complimentary feedback but one woman went even farther - she said it was like getting a "Zen moment" in her email. (Thanks Cibeline!)

Her comment got me thinking. That is exactly what I want to provide - Zen moments for my readers. I am in no way a Zen expert but I do hope that reading my monthly messages might offer you a moment to temporarily unhook from what I call the Perpetual Progress Grid of life. My wish is to share with you a moment of reflection, appreciation and calm.

So today, I will describe for you how I unhook from the grid for brief moments of time and at random intervals. I believe it is this short but consistent "unhooking" that keeps me refreshed, creative and ultimately at peace. By sharing my techniques with you, I invite you to borrow, create or identify your own.

I "unhook" from the pressures, desires, thrills, and obligations of the Perpetual Progress Grid when:

-- I hear my dog pitter-patter up the stairs to join me in my office and I stop what I am doing for a few minutes, pat her belly and thank her for coming to visit me.

--I take a work break, drive into town and get coffee at my favorite independent coffee shop with my husband.

--I turn off my phone, ignore email and descend into creative bliss when writing.

-- I take a moment to stare out a window and notice the way the rain, snow or sunshine is reflecting off the glass at just that moment.

--I attend a yoga class and gratefully stretch both my mind and limbs to their full expression.

--I take a deep breath and feel it extend my abdomen.

--I drive slowly and in silence.

--I rhythmically clean my house, cook a meal, wrap a gift or wash dishes (yes, I sometimes like the feel soapy hot water on my hands).

--I sit anywhere and watch the world for a moment - the people, the trees and the clouds...whatever is happening in front of me from my vantage point.

--I sing (badly too, trust me).

When I do these things I am temporarily "free floating" and my mind is at some level disengaged from the need to achieve. It is a place where small moments of joy live.