Maria Shriver's commencement speech at my alma mater, USC's Annenberg School for Communications and Journalism, was straightforward and simple. Pause to find out what's real and important to you. In today's technology driven society where everything is about instant gratification, a society where let's face it no one seems to be satisfied with anything, Shriver talks about taking a beat.
"The greatest and wisest that have ever walked this planet have often stopped and withdrawn from the journey, the outward journey, to spend time within themselves. The wisdom they garnered there and turned and shared with the world has impacted us for the better," she said. In the midst of texting, tweeting, facebooking, talking, running, writing, parenting and whatever else you do, take a break from that outward journey and really acknowledge the path you've taken. Appreciate your life, and be grateful for everything you have... Don't worry, all those emails and text messages will still be there in a few minutes, but maybe you'll look at them differently now that you've stopped and paused.
