by Scott Ward 

I recently read an article called “The last true hermit”. It was about a guy who had spent 27 years living in pure solitude
in the forests of Central Maine USA.

For 27 straight years he didn’t speak to a soul
except for a single “hello” when bumping into some bushwalkers one time.

The article related that for all of those years, he’d
spend his beautiful days simply experiencing and contemplating the world around…

As someone who lives and breathes the dynamic connectivity
that comes with working in digital transformation, the story of this man’s
solitary existence stood in stark contrast to my own daily experience.

It made me think of all the ways we now connect
with each other and how subtlety pervasive and convenient technology has become;
I was amused to discover, after reviewing the apps on my mobile phone, that I
have over 38 different channels to connect with people on a single device!

Don’t get me wrong, I love the access our new
world offers. I love that old monopolies and long held bastions of power are
been turned upside down and redistributed along lines more reflective of merit.
I love the potential we now have to tap into, harness and direct the brilliance
that sits across all humanity… we truly are in an age of miracles.

Be it environmental, political, medical or whatever your passion, now is the
time to get amongst it and lead the charge in directions that are meaningful to
us.

However… amongst all this change…. amongst all the
hype that comes with breakthrough discoveries… the experience of the hermit
reminds us that there is an elegant beauty that has been with us throughout all
the ages that sits beyond the complexity of technology.