I was (mostly) off line for the past week while visiting my Dad and brother in Franklin, TN (just south of Nashville where I grew up). I did not totally unplug as I kept an eye on personal email and the news feed that comes to me via my varied updates from those who I follow on Twitter.  However, I did stop on-line engagement and focused on my family, people around me, and real experiences.

I took several long runs through historic downtown Franklin, ate a bit of BBQ, had a great startup brainstorming breakfast at Noshville with friend Darren Crawford, cooked, laughed, and even played a suprisingly good round of golf with my Dad and brother (last round was 3 years ago).

I was originally going to title this post "Offline and in the Real World" but I think that is too harsh.  We can (and must) balance the deluge of information, ease of access via mobile devices, and what appear to be pressing needs to engage on-line with off-line and real life engagement and interactions. 

I have created a vast network of people that I am truly grateful to have through various on-line connections but I find it increasingly diluted based on its size.  The race to accumulate friends, fans, followers, and influence that I have been part of over the past few years seems a bit ridiculous when you spend time with extremely successful business owners who simply make their customers their priority and run their businesses with integrity.

These on-line and off-line worlds are not incompatible and can definitely benefit each other.  I firmly believe that successfully integrating the two can lead to a more successful business and more personal impact on the world.

So, please take a moment to look around (not at your phone), get together in person for coffee or a beer with a friend, and remember that technology can enable your pursuits in amazing and innovative ways but is no substitute for real life.